Rover Strike: Project AniCom

Episode 4: In With The Old

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Arkadiy, Bard, Natsu, Bandit, Harva © Kirsten Coughlan

Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be 
sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com.

Hidden Base
Somewhere in Nordland
Northern Norway
27 March
20:01 PM:

Somewhere along northern coast of Norway, located on one of the many
snow-covered islands, is what at first appears to be a small village.
It is a collection of wooden hovels built to withstand the harsh arctic 
weather. But on a closer look one can notice several differences from
the usual villages that dot the region. First is the fact that a big
fence surrounds all the structures and second that the dock is a
concrete pier that reaches out far into the natural harbour. Third is
a set of four well-lit helicopter pads and fourth is the most important:
a large entrance tunnel into the side of the hill where the village is
located. It is here where most of the activity is. At the dock is a
freighter flying the EuroCorp flag, while two of the helicopter pads
are occupied by a pair of heavy cargo choppers. Workers are busy un-
loading various sizes of crates and containers, loading them onto trucks
that drive into the tunnel. Everywhere there are heavily armed guards
along with patrol dogs. At one of the hovels, a security chief is busy
giving the night shifts to the guards under his command.

Chief(German):"Here are ze schedules for tonight. As usual, keep your
     eyes open for anything suspicious and immediately report ANY kind of
     irregularity or anything that looks out of place. You all know what
     happened last time, right?"

The guards all nod their heads.

Chief(German):"Guht. Study your shift routes and carry out your duties.
     The next rotation will be at midnight. Dismissed."

The guards all begin to disperse, heading for their assigned posts. Some
of them light up cigarettes or strike up a conversation. The security
chief watches them walk off and then goes behind the hovel. He takes out
a cellphone, dials a number and waits for an answer. It does not take
long for the call to be answered, with the chief speaking in perfect
English.

Chief(into phone):"Gopher here... I am at the new location and have
     successfully integrated... No, no suspicions yet... All is procee-
     ding as expected. All the equipment and staff from Red Spire have
     almost all been brought over. Schlectermann himself arrived here
     earlier today with his senior staff... So Operation Extraction is
     a go?... Copy that, Senior. I will begin Operation Extraction as
     soon as possible. For the glory of the Vanguard... Gopher out."

He puts the cellphone away again, then looks around before unzipping
his pants and doing his business. He whistles while all the activity
around the base continues. Up above the night sky is clear, showing the
stars twinkling in the sky. One light moves across the night sky, 
looking like a shooting star. What those below don't know is that it is
actually the Satellite Rover, spying down from orbit upon the base and
taking pictures.

Exterior Gardens
Road Rover Headquarters

United States of America
28 March
14:01 PM:

This is one of several gardens on the grounds outside the headquarters'
main buildings. This particular garden is a wide lawn around a pool
formed by an underground river. Here a number of Rovers are playing with 
their pups. Among them are Striker and Phoenix, who are busy playing with 
Firefly. Striker and Phoenix are sitting towards one another with a yard 
of space between them. The couple are busy rolling a ball between them,
which Firefly is eagerly chasing after on all fours. She is barking and
wagging her tail happily. Striker smiles as Firefly grabs the ball before
he can pick it up.

Striker:"Enjoying it, Firefly?"

The puppy looks up and nods eagerly, gnawing on the ball a bit. Striker

takes the ball and rolls it towards Phoenix. Firefly chases after it.

Phoenix:"It's great that we have our pup now, Strikie. She's such a dear."

Striker:"If exhausting. She has much stamina as most trained soldiers."

Phoenix shrugs, picking up the ball and rolling it back with Firefly in
hot pursuit.

Phoenix:"The vigor of youth, Dear."

Striker:"I just wish that vigor wouldn't leave so many darts in the walls
         afterwards."

Phoenix laughs as Firefly catches the ball in her mouth and jerks it
around a few times before releasing it to Striker.

Phoenix:"Yeah, that is a problem. Hopefully Collin will be able to figure
         out how to help us control Firefly's power."

Striker nods and rolls the ball back, which Firefly gleefully follows. 
This goes on a few minutes, and then Aydrian and Elissia come walking
towards the couple. Elissia is carrying a puppy in her arms: a shepherd/
husky mix with mostly brown fur, a black stripe running from her head to
her tail and white fur on her muzzle, neck, chest, belly and paws. Firefly 
drops the ball from her mouth upon seeing her adoptive grandparents. The 
puppy crawls eagerly towards the two. Aydrian smiles, bends down and 
scoops up the puppy in his arms.

Aydrian:"And how's my granddaughter? Having fun?"

Firefly nods eagerly, barking a bit and licking Aydrian's face.

Aydrian:"That's wonderful, my little one."

Striker and Phoenix stand up as the two Pomeranians approach them.

Phoenix:"Hello, Mom. Dad."

Elissia:"Hello there, Dear. I see motherhood is just your thing, isn't
         it?"

Phoenix blushes and smiles.

Phoenix:"I can't help it. I love our daughter to pieces."

Aydrian waves a teasing finger at his daughter.

Aydrian:"Careful. You might end up spoiling her."

Elissia:"Oh hush, Aydrian."

Striker indicates to the puppy that Elissia is carrying. The young mix
is looking curiously at Firefly.

Striker:"Who's pup is that?"

Elissia:"Oh, this is Whisper. She is the daughter of that Arkadiy
         fellow. He asked us to take her along, since we are coming
         here to you."

Phoenix:"Oh? Why is that?"

Aydrian:"The Master wants you to assemble your team, Striker. He has a
         mission for you."

Striker becomes serious.

Striker:"Did he say what it is?"

Aydrian:"No, but it seems to be very important. You two better go and
         see him right away."

The couple nod.

Phoenix:"Okay. Will you look after Firefly for us?"

Elissia:"Of course, Dear. We look forward to spending some time with our
         grandchild."

Phoenix gives the ball to Firefly, who grabs it and gnaws on its tough
rubber skin.

Phoenix:"Thanks, Mom."

Elissia:"A pleasure, dear. Now run along."

Phoenix pokes a gently finger against Firefly's noise.

Phoenix:"You be a good little puppy, now Firefly. And don't shoot Blitz 
         in the rear again, okay?"

Firefly giggles and nods her head. Striker and Phoenix walk back quickly 
towards the main base. Elissia and Aydrian go and sit down on the grass. 
They begin to play ball with Firefly and Whisper, the two puppies both
eagerly chasing after the little round sphere.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Mission Control
14:28 PM:

The Master is standing on his usual spot on the balcony. Seated around 
one side of the briefing table is Arkadiy, his wife Harva and the other
members of his team: Bandit, Reese, Natsu and Bard. Seated on the other
side of the table is Illanov, Corsair, Shephard and Merit. On the main
screen is a zoomed satellite view of northern Norway. Everyone turns
their heads when Striker and Phoenix come running in.

Striker:"Jammer that we are late."

Master:"That's all right, Striker. Please take a seat, you two."

Striker and Phoenix go and sit down with the others. They all then turn
to the Master.

Master:"Right, I've called you all here for a special mission. As you
        know, we have been tracking EuroCorp's AniCom Project ever since
        it came to light last year. We had some initial success with
        infiltrating the project, but the crisis in South Africa drew us 
        away from it. But thanks to an anonymous source, we have been 
        able to get back on track. After our raid in Germany, the entire
        project has been moved again."

Arkadiy gestures to the screen.

Arkadiy:"To Norway?"

Master:"Correct. More precise, to here."

Using a remote, the Master zooms the screen in. It shows a satellite image
of Schlectermann's Norwegian base.

Master:"This is where Project AniCom is now. This may look an ordinary
        Norwegian fishing village, but these large ships, the helipads and
        what appears to be a bunker entrance suggest otherwise."

Harva:"They got some kind of laboratory under the ground?"


Master:"Yes, and we believe it is quite extensive."

The Master pushes a button that zooms in a bit more, showing the bunker
entrance.

Master:"Trucks come and go regularly from within, always going in full and
        coming out empty. It seems they offload the cargo from the ships
        that dock here."

Harva:"What do they bring in?"

Master:"Supplies and equipment, mostly. But every now and then a ship 
        brings in cages full of canines."

Reese growls.

Reese:"Typical EuroCorp. What should we do, Master?"

Master:"We don't think EuroCorp is in control of AniCom anymore, Reese.
        Seems that the project leader, Josef Schlectermann, is some kind
        of neo-Nazi with plans for this project. We don't what it is,
        but we must take action."

The Master looks at both teams.

Master:"Here's what I want you to do. Infiltrate the base, free as many
        of the canines as you can and take down the AniCom facility."

Corsair:"That sounds pretty straight forward. Go in, trash the place
         and save the hostages. Road Rovers should trademark that."

Illanov looks at Corsair with a frown.

Illanov:"This is no time for jokes, American."

Corsair rolls his eyes.

Illanov:"Typical Russian dourness. You need to lighten up a little bit 
         sometime."

Striker steps in before the two get further into their argument.

Striker:"Haai! This is not the time for that!"

The quarreling couple stop, but not before giving each other a mean
glance. Striker turns back to the Master.

Striker:"When do we need to strike, Master?"

Master:"Right away. The amount of activity at that base makes me very
        worried. It increases by the day, so the sooner we deal with
        this, the better."

Arkadiy and Striker both stand up and salute the Master.

Arkadiy:"Then we will go there right away, Master."

Master:"Bring AniCom to a permanent end. Good luck!"

Striker:"We will, Master."

The two teams get up from the table and file out of the briefing room
to go and collect their gear.

Stealth Rover & Sonic Rover
Somewhere over the Arctic Circle
22:02 PM:

It is night time over the Arctic, with the moon's lights reflecting on
the vast sheets of ice below. The Stealth Rover and Sonic Rover are
flying side-by-side over the Arctic, taking the most direct route to the
Norwegian AniCom base. The only lights from the vehicles are from the
engines and the cockpits. Inside the Stealth Rover, Corsair is in contact
with Natsu on the Sonic Rover, communicating via headsets and video
streaming on their laptops.

Corsair:"What does our eye in the sky say about that incoming freighter?"

Natsu:"According to our data, it seems it is another one of those prison
       ships, carrying another load of canines. It is still some distance
       from the base, but we could intercept it."

Corsair:"Shouldn't we wait until it gets to the base first? Having to
         rescue all those dogs could make things tricky."

Natsu:"No. Arkadiy's got a plan for that freighter. A way for us to get
       in."

Corsair:"He's an infiltration plan, you say?"

Striker, who is at the flight controls, glances back a bit as he listens
to the two of them discuss the plan.

Natsu:"Ark's idea is that we hijack the freighter and its crew, then use
       it to smuggle in one of our teams into the base."

Corsair:"Take over the ship and its crew? That's a bit dicey, isn't it?"

Natsu:"Ark thinks we can pull it off."

Striker looks back at Corsair.

Striker:"Put me through directly to Ark, David."

Corsair nods.

Corsair:"On it, boss."

He types rapidly on his keyboard, setting up the communications channel
between Arkadiy and Striker. It takes a few minutes, but Corsair soons
gives a thumbs up to Striker. The spaniel takes a headset and puts it on
over his ears, adjusting the set's microphone before taking the flight
controls again.

Striker:"Ark, what exactly do you have in mind with the freighter?"

Arkadiy:"My plan is that we sneak onto the freighter, overpower the crew
         and then force them to bring us close to the base. Then one of
         our teams is offloaded inside one of the cargo containers from
         the freighter into the base proper. That way we can lessen the
         chance of opposition and also get a means to rescue all of the
         canines being used in AniCom."

Striker:"And you think we can pull this off?"

Arkadiy:"I think so. We have the dog power and the technology needed to
         capture the freighter. It is still far enough from the base to
         prevent the enemy from finding out that something is wrong."

Striker rubs his chin fur, considering the plan. Finally he nods his
head.

Striker:"Reg, I concur with this idea. Where is the freighter now, David?"

Corsair checks with Natsu before giving the answer.

Corsair:"In the North Sea, about 200 clicks from where the base is."

Striker:"Goed. Let's work out a plan."

The spaniel talks with Arkadiy about what their course of action will be.
The two aircraft change course to intercept the freighter.

EuroCorp Freighter
North Sea
150 Kilometers Off The Norwegian Coast
23:11 PM:

Sailing through the North Sea is a white-hulled container ship with the
ship's name and the EuroCorp insignia on the sides and stern. On the
deck are a few colored containers and the cranes used to load or un-
load them at docks. The ship is pretty wel lit up with lights all over,
though the decks are mostly empty because of the cold weather. Up in
the bridge, the ship's captain is drinking coffee while monitoring his
ensign, who at the ship's wheel.

Captain:"All's well?"

Ensign:"All's well, captain. The seas are calm, traffic is light and we
        will be arriving at our destination in two hours."

Captain:"Good. That Kaufmann fellow called again and asked where we were
         with his precious cargo."

The ensign snorts derisively.

Ensign:"Precious cargo. We're transporting a bunch of yapping, barking
        and p***ing dogs for him. Begging your pardon, captain."

The captain nods, sipping his coffee.

Captain:"Apology accepted. These Germans have been making all kinds of
         demands on us, bordering on the unreasonable. Thank God the
         boys at the head office want us to take up a new route once we
         are done with this delivery."

Ensign:"Finally! I can't stand those Germans. There is something wrong
        with those people. You'd think they had won World War II."

Captain:"The sooner we can make this delivery, the sooner we can get
         away from those morons."

The captain empties his coffee cup.

Captain:"I'll be in my cabin. Alert me when we get our destination."

Ensign:"Aye, captain."

The captain turns and leaves the bridge while the ensign and a few other
sailors work on the ship's wheel and terminals. The ensign looks over to
a sailor monitoring the freighter's radar.

Ensign:"Anything on radar?"

The sailor shakes his head, looking at the green, circular screen on his
console.

Sailor:"Nothing unusual, ensign. Route's clear, no ships and no icebergs
        in our way."

Ensign:"Thank you."

But above the freighter, the Stealth Rover and Sonic Rover were orbiting
in the skies. Phoenix at the Stealth's flight controls and Bard is flying
the Sonic. The other Rovers are dressing up in thick winter uniforms and
putting on jetpacks. Through the open hatch in the Stealth's cargo bay
they can see the freighter's lights in the sea.

Striker:"Shephard, how do the decks look?"

Shephard:"Looks all clear, sir. The crew must be inside because of the
          cold."

Corsair:"Which we are going to be FLYING in."

Striker radios for Arkadiy.

Striker(into com):"Ark, is your team ready?"

Arkadiy(over com):"We're suited up and ready. Yours?"

Striker(into com):"All set. The decks below are clear. We go for the
       bridge first and then the rest of the ship."

Arkadiy(over com):"Then let's go."

The two teams jump from the aircraft and fall down towards the ship.
Halfway down they turn on their jetpacks, slowing their descent. They
scan the ship's decks for trouble, but nobody is out in the cold. The
two teams slow down and come to a landing on the exterior decks on
either side of the bridge's entrances. Striker radios Ark again.

Striker(into com):"In position."

Arkadiy(over com):"Same here. Let's go!"

They open the doors and then rush inside, weapons ready. Inside the
bridge the ensign and sailors are startled by the rush of strangers. A
sailor jumps to his feet and tries to punch Bandit. The Burmese Mountain
Dog simply teleports behind the surprised sailor and forces him into an
arm lock.

Bandit:"Try that again and I'll break your arms."

The ensign looks alarmed at all the Rovers.

Ensign:"What is the meaning of this?!"

Arkadiy walks up to the ensign in a threatening manner.

Arkadiy:"We are taking over this freighter. Where is the captain?"

The ensign looks defiantly at Arkadiy.

Ensign:"Piracy? In the North Sea? You have got to be...."

Arkadiy growls and holds his clawed paws up to the ensign's face. The man
stares with wide eyes at the sharp claws.

Arkadiy:"Where is he?"

Ensign:"In his cabin, one deck below."

Striker comes up to the ensign with his own question.

Striker:"How many crew are on board?"

Ensign:"Twenty five."

Corsair(surprised):"Twenty five? I'd expect more for a tub like this."

Natsu:"Not really. Cargo ships these days, especially the newer ones, are
       very sophisticated and run with computers. So they don't need many
       people to run it."

Corsair:"Oh."

Striker turns to Arkadiy.

Striker:"Even so, twenty five is a lot to keep an eye on. We'll have to
         imprison most of the crew and keep enough around to run this
         ship without overextending ourselves."

Arkadiy:"I agree, but this ship looks fully automated so my team could
         handle it all. First, let's get the captain."

Striker nods and turns to Corsair.

Striker:"Keep an eye on this lot and make sure none of them call for help."

Corsair:"You got it, boss."

While Corsair keeps an eye on the bridge crew, Arkadiy and Striker lead
their teams through the hatch and down the stairs that leads to the lower
decks. Striker's team comes to the hatch door that leads to the captain's
quarters. The spaniel taps on the door with his rifle.

Captain(behind door):"Come in."

Striker opens the door and goes inside while the other Strikers keep watch.
Inside the captain had been lying on his bed and reading. The captain is
startled when he sees Striker, aiming his sonic rifle at him.

Striker:"Get up, captain."

Captain:"What's the meaning of this?! Who are you?"

Striker:"We are taking over your vessel. Get up!"

Shephard comes up, grabs the captain and pulls him to his feet.

Captain:"You can't do this! We are protected by international law!"

Striker:"And we are the enforcers of that law, captain. And you happen
         to be in violation of them."

The captain is shocked by this accusation.

Captain:"This is an outrage! I..."

Striker:"Take him to the bridge, Shephard."

Shephard:"Yes, sir!"

While Shephard drags the captain back up to the bridge, Striker and the
rest of the Rovers sweep the ship. Bard and Reese enter the engine room.
It is very noisy, but the engine is quite advanced, run by computers in
a control room at the one end of the engine room. They see a pair of
sailors at work there.

Bard:"Just two so far. Shall we get them?"

Reese:"Let's get them."

The two Rovers duck behind the engines, keeping out of sight of the two
sailors in the control room. The engineers are sitting around a number
of computer terminals and screens, monitoring the ship's engines. As a
result, they don't see the two canines sneak up to their open door. Bard
readies her 9mm pistol and Reese his tazer. The two Rovers then go in,
catching the attention of the two sailors.

Sailor:"What the..."

Bard points her pistol at them.

Bard:"Hands where I can see them."

The one sailor raises his hands, but the other makes a grab for a wrench
lying on a table near the consoles. Reese aims his tazer at the sailor.

Reese:"Don't do it!"

The sailor grabs the wrench and swings it at Reese. Reese quickly ducks
and then fires his tazer. The two bolts hit the sailor's stomach, then
jolts of electricity flow from the tazer, through the wires to the bolts.
The sailor yells in pain, dropping the wrench and stumbling to the floor.

Reese:"I warned you not to do it."

Reese gets up and removes the tazer bolts from the sailor. The two Rovers
then make the other sailor help their friend up. Throughout the ship, the
Rovers round up the sailors, locking up those they don't need in the
brig while essential crewmembers are kept on duty but under guard. At the
bridge, Striker and Arkadiy come together for a meeting while the others
get the captain and some of his crew behind the controls.

Striker:"Ship's secure on our end. How about yours?"

Arkadiy:"Secure on our side too. We have full control of the ship."

Striker:"Goed. What did your team find in the cargo hold?"

Arkadiy:"We found several containers containing, as we expected, a number
         of unfortunate canines being held in poor conditions. Bard is
         taking care of them now."

Striker:"So the plan is for us to hide inside those containers and then
         be smuggled inside, is that you were thinking Ark?"

Arkadiy nods his head.

Arkadiy:"That's right. Your team gets inside the base in a container while
         we control the ship and the crew in case we need to evacuate
         more dogs that might be in the facility."

Striker considers the plan for a minute, then finally nods.

Striker:"Reg. First, though. We need to set up a rendezvous point where we
         can land the Stealth and Sonic Rovers without risking them being
         captured by the enemy."

Arkadiy:"Good idea. And maybe dump the freighter should we have to leave
         it behind for some reason. There seems to be a lot of small
         islands in the region where the enemy base is, so we should be
         able to find a descent site."

Striker:"I'll have Corsair search for a site. In the meantime, lets get
         the freighter secure and get ready to infiltrate base. We best
         not waste time or we risk alerting those who are expecting the
         freighter on time."

Arkadiy:"I agree. Let's get to work."

The Rover-controlled freighter, escorted by the Stealth and Sonic Rovers,
sails onward to its destination.

Tool Shed
Topside Vehicle Garages
Hidden Base
23:30 PM:

The topside vehicle garages are a collection of concrete structures with
spare windows and open doors for the trucks that are busy with the
loading operations. Adjacent to these buildings is a wooden house that
serves as the tool shed, standing near the edge of the perimeter fence.
A single light is on, shining through the barred windows. Inside the
shed are racks and shelves where tools of all tipes are kept in neat
order. At the moment there three individuals here: two technicians in
heavy orange overalls and hardhats, and the security chief sans mole
known as Gopher.

Gopher:"So you two understand what you need to do?"

Technician 1:"Yes, we do. Go to the power station, plant the device and
              then cut the main security lines."

Technician 2:"Once the device goes off, we aid you in the retrieval
              and then get out of here to meet the extraction team.
              Sounds simple enough."

Gopher:"Sounds simple, yes, but that will change when we actually
        executive the plan. You have your weapons?"

The technicians pat their overalls, trigging the sound of pistols
rattling faintly underneath.

Technician 1:"Right here."

Gopher:"Good. We will begin the operation tonight."

Technician 2:"Do you have the device?"

Gopher takes out a small laptop bag, puts it on a nearby table and
unzips it. The technicians gather around as Gopher opens the bag. In
the bag is a square black box with a single red light and a pair of
switches.

Technician 2:"That's it?"

Gopher:"That's it."

Technician 2:"Doesn't look like much."

Gopher:"That was the whole idea behind it. An easy to use device that
        can be used in the field without attracting too much attention.
        You plant it, hit the two switches and leave. That's all."

Technician 1:"What is the effective range of the device?"

Gopher:"A hundred metres. Not much, so that's why you must plant this
        device as close to the power generators as possible."

Technician 1:"And how much time do we have after we've set it before it
              goes off?"

Gopher:"Ten minutes exactly."

Technician 1:"Ten minutes? Not really a lot."

Gopher:"No, just enough to get out of there. But once the power goes
        down, the confusion will give us the cover we need before they
        get the backup generators up."

Technician 2:"That could be a problem."

Gopher looks at the technician.

Gopher:"And why do you say that?"

Technician 2:"That brief power cut could cause some of those mutants to
              escape their holding cells."

Gopher laughs briefly.

Gopher:"All the better for us. Security will be so busy containing those
        loose mutants we will be able to carry out our mission with no
        interference. Just be sure to have your weapons ready and meet
        me at the rendezvous point when you set the device."

Technician 1:"The level 2 bathrooms, right?"

Gopher:"That's right. Now, let's go over the plan one more time."

The technicians listen carefully while the security chief/mole explains
the overall plan to them again.

Underground Laboratories
Hidden Base
23:57 PM:

Beneath the earth is series of inter-connected rooms and chambers that
form part of an elaborate underground facility. In one of the rooms is
a path that goes between two rows of medical tables. Here, strapped and
sedated mutants are being fitted with what appears to be Kevlar armor

and combat accessories while several injections are made. Scientists
and technicians are both working together on these subjects. From an
overhead balcony, Schlectermann is watching the operations.

Josef(German):"Guht, things are coming together well."

At that moment Kaufmann comes through a pair of sliding doors and walks
up to Schlectermann. He is holding a big sausage roll wrapped in paper
in his hands.

Kaufmann(German):"Excuse me, Herr Schlectermann."

Schlectermann doesn't look back to answer.

Josef(German):"Yah?"

Kaufmann takes a bite from the sausage roll and chews while talking to
the scientist.

Kaufmann(full mouth, German):"Ze next ship load is arriving at ze dock."

Schlectermann looks disapprovingly at Kaufmann.

Josef(German):"Then go up there and oversee the offloading."

Kaufmann looks surprised at Schlectermann and swallows his food before
speaking again.

Kaufmann(German):"But it's the middle of ze night outside!"

Josef(German):"So? The lights are on topside, and ze fresh air will do 
     you wonders. Now go!"

Kaufmann tries to protest further, but the cold stare given to him by
Schlectermann convinces him to shut his mouth. He sighs, takes another
bite from the roll and walks back the way he came. Schlectermann turns
his attention back to the work below.

Docks
Hidden Base
00:13 AM:

At the base's docks, the EuroCorp freighter has just arrived. Lines are
thrown to anchor the ship to the concrete docks. On the decks the crew
are busy opening the cargo holds as the operators of the cranes swing
in the lines. On the bridge the captain is on the radio with the harbor
master of the base.

Captain(into radio):"This EuroCorp Freighter 168. We have docked and 
       ready to unload our cargo."

Harbour(over radio):"Confirmed. Our crews are ready to accept your cargo.
       Unload as instructed."

Captain(into radio):"Thank you."

Directly behind the captain, Arkadiy jabs him in the back with tip of his
Puppy Blaster.

Arkadiy:"And..."

The captain sighs and radios the harbor master.

Captain(into radio):"Please be advised that we've had some engine trouble
       along the way, so our departure will be delayed while we fix the
       problem."

Harbour(over radio):"All right. All dock crews will be notified. Will you
       be needing any assistance in repairs?"

Captain(into radio):"No, its nothing too serious. My crew can handle it.
       We will contact you if any assistance is required."

Harbour(over radio):"Very well. Proceed as scheduled."

Captain(into radio):"Thank you."

The captain puts the radio down and looks out at the deck, still aware of
Arkadiy and Bandit standing behind him and his crew, keeping them in line
with their weapons. On the deck the cranes lower their hooks down into
the open cargo holds, where the crew then attach the lines under the eyes
of Natsu and Bard. The cranes then begin lifting the shipping containers
out of the hold. As the one container comes up, Arkadiy gets on his com
and contacts Striker.

Arkadiy(into com):"Doing all right in there, Striker?"

Inside the container are Striker, Phoenix, Illanov, Shephard and Merit.
They are trying to maintain their balance as the container swings about.
Striker uses his watchcom to reply to Arkadiy.

Striker(into com):"We're doing fine. Just being thrown about a bit, but
       nothing serious."

Arkadiy(over com):"Okay. They're bringing in the trucks to take you into
       the base. We'll hold the fort here: the captain's story about the
       breakdown seems to be working. Good luck!"

Striker(into com):"Dankie, same to you."

As soon as Arkadiy closes the transmission, Striker contacts Corsair.

Corsair(over com):"Yeah boss?"

Striker(into com):"We're being offloaded. How are the vehicles?"

Corsair(over com):"Oh, the Stealth and the Sonic are sitting pretty at
       the moment. Far away from anybody who wants to snoop around, and
       security is up and running. How are you all holding up, boss?"

Striker(into com):"Getting thrown about, but nothing serious. We will
       contact you when we're ready for the extraction."

Corsair(over com):"Okay, boss. I'll hold the fort here and monitor your
       progress via Merit. Good luck!"

Striker(into com):"Dankie."

Striker closes the com channel. The dock crane brings over the container
to one of the awaiting flatbed trucks. The container is placed on its
back and then secured by dock workers. The truck then begins driving on
the road to the entrance of the base. Meanwhile, at the entrance of the
base, Kaufmann is coming out of an elevator that opens to an enclosed
shack just past the main doors. The shack contains several computer
monitors where a pair of security guards are on duty. Just through the
window in front of the shack and in the middle of the road is a large
metal platform with poles at each corner. The poles seem to hold up some 
kind of scanning device that has motors on each pole. Kaufmann goes into
shack, then takes out a pack of cookies. He approaches the guards as he
starts eating the cookies.

Kaufmann(German):"Anything interesting?"

Guard 1(German):"Nein, herr Kaufmann. We are just waiting for the trucks
       from the docks to come through."

Kaufmann simply nods and eats another cookie while looking out the shack
at the approaching trucks. A red signal appears on a traffic light on
the side of the shack and the trucks stop. The guards get the machine in
front of the shack ready, then change the traffic signal. A green light
appears. The first truck drives onto the metal surface and parks right
between the poles. In the shack the guards active the machine.

Guard 2(German):"Scanning..."

The scanners on each pole move down in unison as they shine laser beams

upon the truck. They move all the way down, then back up in the same
manner. Once done, the guards check their monitors, which are showing
a kind of x-ray image of the truck and its contents.

Guard 1(German):"This is odd. That truck's container is empty."

Kaufmann, upon hearing this, walks over and looks at the screen himself.
He eats another cookie, spilling crumbs onto the keyboard. The German
can see that the guard is indeed right.

Kaufmann(German):"Try the next one."

Guard 1(German):"Jawohl."

The guards signal for the first truck to move on. The truck proceeds off
the metal surface, after which the second truck drives on. Once it has
parked, the guards repeat the same scanning process. As soon as it has
been completed, Kaufmann and the guards look at the images on the moni-
tors.

Guard 2(German):"Looks like there is something in there. Must be the
       cargo we've expected."

But Kaufmann takes a closer look at the monitor. The more he examines
it, the more his eyes widen. Finally, he looks at the guards.

Kaufmann(German):"Send it through. And where's a phone?"

The second guard points to a nearby telephone on the wall. Kaufmann
grabs the receiver and dials a number. The guards let the truck drive
on. The vehicle proceeds down the tunnel into the base proper while
back in the shack, Kaufmann is talking quickly into the phone.

Power Plant
Underground Facility
00:20 AM:

This part of the facility is build upon a geothermal vent, where the
steam from an underground volcanic vent is being used to run several
large green turbines. Pipes lead from the giant, circular machine that 
gathers the steam from the vent to the turbines and then up and out to 
the chimneys. A single control room overlooks the whole plant, where
technicians can check and monitor the entire plant. But directly under
the control room is a blind spot, where the two technicians Gopher had
been talking to are working. They have just removed the metal cover
from a maintenance tunnel.

Technician 1:"There, that did it. You got the device?"

The second technician nods, holding up a carton box.

Technician 2:"Right here."

Technician 1:"Good. Go in there and plant it at one of the substation
              circuit breakers."

The second technician looks surprised at his colleague.

Technician 2:"Why me?"

Technician 1:"Because you've got a smaller frame than I do, so you'll
              be able to move more easily. Plus, I can better handle
              anyone who gets too curious."

Technician 2:"If you say so."

Technician 1:"I do say so. Now get going before someone comes snooping
              and asks what is in that box."

The second technician grumbles, but nonetheless he goes on all fours
and goes into the crawl space that leads to the pipes and wires running
through the facility. The first technician watches him go in while
taking quick glances around now and then. The other workers in the
plant do not take notice of them at all.

Storage Bay
Underground Facility
00:43 AM:

Striker and his team are still inside the container, with the only source
of light being the faint glow from their Watchcoms. They listen to the
sound of the truck's engine as it makes its way to the base's storage bay.
After a short while the truck finally comes to a stop and the engine is
shut down.

Striker(whispering):"Reg, we've stopped. Now they will probably unload
       the container from the truck."

Illanov(whispering):"And then when they open it, we force the workers 
       into the container and move into the complex. Right, comrade?"

Striker(whispering):"Correct, Alex."

The container shudders as a crane running on ceiling rails grabs it and
lifts it from the truck's flatbed. After a minute, the container is

placed on the ground with a thud.

Phoenix(whispering):"Do we move now?"

Striker(whispering):"Let's wait a bit, Firefly. Once they..."

Suddenly the doors of the container are opened slightly. Before the team
can react, a bunch of objects are tossed inside before the doors close
again. Shephard uses his mask's night vision to look at the objects. He
can see they are gas grenades and flashbangs.

Shephard:"S***! Grenades!"

Before they can react, the grenades go off. The container is filled with
thick gas and bright flashes, the bangs from the grenades' detonations
nearly deafening inside. Everyone is except Merit is stunned and/or
coughing.

Merit:"Oh dear. We appear to have a smoking problem in a confined space."

The doors of the container are opened again, this time to allow armed
security guards in heavy armor and gasmasks to charge in. Merit is the
only one who attempts to resist, but the guards quickly shove their
submachine guns in front of his eye lens.

Guard:"Surrender! Or we shoot!"

Merit:"Analysis: situation beyond current control. Engaging safeties."

The rest of the Strikers are quickly disarmed of their weapons and then
dragged out of the container, where even more heavily armed guards are
surrounding it. The security guards then pat them down and remove their
Watchcoms and spare weapons. Merit is made to remove his battle shell,
which the guards move next to the pile of their equipment. Once Striker,
Phoenix, Illanov and Shephard have recovered from the gas and stunning,
they find themselves in the middle of a circle of armed men.

Guard:"Hands in the air! Schnell!"

The Strikers do as they are told. Just then, Schlectermann appears
behind the armed security guards. His arms are folded and he has a dis-

approving look on his face.

Josef:"Ach so. You are zose Road Rovers who have been causing me so 
       much trouble."

Phoenix:"Trouble you definitely deserve."

Josef:"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. You might want to consider your situation
       before annoying me."

Striker is frowning at the German.

Striker:"How did you manage to find out about us?"

Josef:"You think I was going to let you Road Rovers waltz in here with
       ease again? I had security measures put in place that picked you

       up the moment you got in here. Also, we took the opportunity to
       search the freighter..."

He gestures to one end of the storage bay. Striker is shocked to see
Arkadiy and his entire team with their paws in the air and surrounded by 
more armed men. Kaufmann is standing nearby, finishing the last few
cookies he had been eating.

Josef:"... and found your friends. We quickly overpowered them before
       they could put up a fight."

Illanov looks at Arkadiy.

Illanov:"You all right, comrades?"

Arkadiy nods his head a little.

Arkadiy:"Dah, besides a few bruises. They were claiming to do a brief
         inspection of the ship, but before we could take action the
         captain gave us away. We couldn't put up much of a fight."

Schlectermann smiles in smug satisfaction.

Josef:"Now I can finally complete my project in peace and without your
       interference. Or that of EuroCorp."

Shephard:"Probably because they'll line you up in a firing squad if they
          found out you're a Nazi."

Schlectermann stops smiling upon hearing this.

Josef:"Ach, you've probably drawn some conclusions about vat you saw
       back at Castle Red Spire."

Phoenix:"Enough to know that you and your organization mean nothing but
         trouble."

Schlectermann waves a dismissive hand at the Pomeranian.

Josef:"Pah! Such is ze ignore of those who do not know the true goals
       of my vision."

Striker:"And just was are your goals?"

Schlectermann snorts derisively.


Josef:"You're mistaken if you think I vill divulge my plans to you. I
       know better."

He looks at Kaufmann, who has just removed the wrapper on a candy bar. 

Josef(German):"Take zem to the incinerator. Shoot them all in the head
     and then dispose of their bodies."

Kaufmann nods and then gestures to the pile of confiscated equipment with 
the candy bar.

Kaufmann(German):"And zat?"

Schlectermann rubs his chin in thought before making a decision.

Josef(German):"Take them to the manufacturing facility and have the engi-
     neers work on them. Let's see what kind of toys zese Road Rovers use.
     If nothing else, zey can use them for spare parts."

Kaufmann(German):"Jawohl."

As Schlectermann heads for the doors leading out of the storage bay, 
Kaufmann gives the security guards orders in German. The guard begin to
prod and gesture to their prisoners where to march.

Kaufmann:"Let's go! Schnell!"

With paws still raised, the Rovers are all escorted to a different set
of doors that lead out.

Power Plant
Underground Facility
At That Moment:

The first technician is still at the open hatch, looking inside to where
his companion is. He calls out to him.

Technician 1:"How much longer?"

The second technician's voice can be heard from somewhere deep inside the
tunnel.

Technician 2:"Just need to adjust this... there, done!"

The first technician keeps staring into the hatch for a minute. Finally,
he steps back as the second technician comes crawling back.

Technician 1:"Everything all right?"

The second technician and holds out one hand. The first one takes it and
helps his friend to his feet.

Technician 2:"Yes, the device is set. Are we good here?"

Technician 1:"Yes. Everybody thinks we're just doing the usual routine. 
              The guards didn't even glance for more than a second."

Technician 2:"Good. Let's get this sealed up and meet Gopher."

The two technicians place the hatch back over the whole. While the
second technician holds the hatch in place, the first one uses an elec-
tric screwdriver to put the screws back in.

Incinerator
Underground Facility
1:02 AM:

The incinerator consists of three large boilers alongside one another,
with pipes going up into the ceiling to the surface. On each boiler are
two hatches: one for incineration, and the other for cleaning and main-
tenance. A few workers in dirty overalls are on duty here, throwing
bags of rubbish into the boilers. Through the single double doors the 
guard group escorting the Rovers come in. They force up against the 
walls opposite the incinerator.

Guard:"Right there! Don't move!"

Natsu:"As if we have a choice."

One of the workers goes up to the security officers.

Worker:"What's going on here?"


Officer:"These intruders were caught trying to infiltrate the base. We
         are here to execute them and have their bodies destroyed."

Worker:"Oh, good. Seems Herr Schlectermann has finally listened to our 
        complaints about having to put these mutants into the incine-
        rators while they are alive."

While they are talking, Arkadiy leans over to Striker and whispers. He
is soft enough not to be heard by the distracted guards but enough to
be heard by Striker.

Arkadiy(whispering):Got a plan?"

Striker(whispering):"I do, but it is very risky. We could end up getting
       killed or seriously injured."

Arkadiy(whispering):"If we don't do anything we will get killed regard-
       less. What is the plan?"

Striker begins to explain it when the guards turn back to them and begin
to line up. They ready their weapons and prepare to fire. The workers
stand back and watch.

Men's Bathroom
Underground Facility
1:09 AM:

This is one of several bathroom facilities located in the base. It has
the usual rows of cisterns, toilets and wash basins with automatic soap
dispensers and dryers. At the moment the only here is Gopher, who is
standing by one of the basins, pretending to wash his hands. He looks
up when the two technicians come in.

Gopher:"Ready?"

Technician 1:"The device is in place and armed. Nobody saw us."

Gopher:"Excellent. Do you have the triggering device?"

The second technician nods and holds up a small controller that looks
like a cellphone.

Technician 2:"Right here."

Gopher:"Good. Here, get your weapons."

Gopher goes to one of the closed toilets and opens it. Lying next to the 
toilet is a large, black exercise bag. Gopher picks it up, brings it over
and unzips it to reveal several automatic weapons, extra ammunition and 
kevlar armor. The three men take the weapons and ammo and put on the armor. 
Once armed and ready, the second technician gives the remote to Gopher.

Gopher:"Right. Ready?"

Technicians:"Ready."

Gopher:"For the Vanguard, then."

Gopher pushes several numbers on the remote and finally the hash key for
the trigger.

Power Plant
Underground Facility
At That Moment:

The power plant is functioning as normal and the technicians inside the
control room are pretty much just idling, chatting or drinking something.
Suddenly there is a loud bang that shakes the room, startling the men.

Technician 1(German):"What was that?"

Suddenly there is another bang, followed immediately by an alarm and a
rumbling noise. Screens go red and warning lights flash all over the
control panels. The technicians immediately drop what they are doing and
scramble over to their stations.

Technician 1(German):"I got complete steam pressure loss on all turbines!"

Technician 2(German):"Severe structural compromise along sections five,
            seven and nine!"

Technician 3(German):"Mein Gott! The steam pressure in the main geothermal 
            pump is building! All vents are sealed!"

Technician 4(German):"Vents are not opening! I cannot get a response!"

Through the window of the control they can see the giant geothermal pump
is rumbling and vibrating, growing worse with each passing second. The
men scramble desperately to avert disaster.

Specimen Growth Laboratory
Underground Facility:

This is actually a wide corridor with rows of giant glass tubes on either
side. Each tube has a mutant floating inside of them, suspended by a
clear blue liquid. Wires running from their bodies go down to a computer
console fitted to the bottom of the tubes. Air masks cover their faces
and provide oxygen, while tubes carrying unknown fluids are inserted
into their bodies where the main blood veins are. Scientists are busy
monitoring the tubes' consoles while the mutants inside sleep. Suddenly
the lab begins to rumble and shake, startling the scientists.

Scientist 1(German):"Ach! What's going on?"

Scientist 2(German):"Earthquake!"

Scientist 3(German):"Out here? Impossible!"

The rumbling gets worse. Inside the tubes the mutants' eyes open while
the glass starts to crack at the top and bottom from the vibrations.

Power Plant:

The geothermal pump is now shaking violently, steam shooting out in jets
from cracks. The whole power plant is vibrating as the machine is about
to tear itself apart. The technicians in the control room try to shut
down the whole plant, but it is too late. There is a huge explosion of
steam and metal as the pump ruptures and explodes. The whole facility
shakes violently from the explosion. Seconds later, the plant is plunged
into darkness as the generators shut down.

Incinerator:

The Rovers are facing the firing squad of security officers, but everyone
is more concerned with the vibrations going through the room. The giant
boilers shake and shudder.

Bandit:"What the h*** is going on?"

Suddenly the lights go out. Immediately there is pandemonium as shouts in
German and English mingle in the room. Seconds later there is the sound
of bodies colliding, followed by the flash of machine gun fire. The muzzle
flashes briefly light up the incinerator, but only shows a brief sign of
chaos. After a few minutes, it all goes quiet. The workers, who had been
cowering close to the light emitting from the fires inside the boilers, try
to see into the darkness to check who won.

Worker(German):"Hello?"

A figure appears in front of the worker, who then promptly shoves the 
muzzle of a submachine into his face. Natsu's voice comes from the
darkness.

Natsu:"Hands in the air!"

Startled, the workers immediately do what they are told.

Arkadiy:"Got them, Natsu?"

Natsu:"Yes, they're cooperating nicely here."

Arkadiy:"Let's tie them up with the others."

Natsu:"Okay."

Striker:"Is everyone all right?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. All the guards are neutralized."

Merit:"I say, I wonder why the electricity was suddenly disconnected."

Phoenix:"Same here. And what's that rumbling noise?"

Bandit:"Sounded to me like some kind of explosion. Maybe they had an
        industrial accident."

Striker:"Whatever it was, its given us a chance to break free. But first
         we need to find our weapons."

Striker uses his Watchcom to contact Corsair.

Striker(into com):"David, you there?"

Corsair(over com):"I hear you, boss. Man, you guys were lucky. Those
       guards were going to perforate you."

Striker(into com):"Do you know what happened?"

Corsair(over com):"No idea. There was a great deal of chatter on their
       com channels, but it has all gone dead for some reason. There was
       some kind of explosion, but I can't tell what it is."

Striker(into com):"I see. Listen, they took our weapons. Can you locate
       them?"

Corsair(over com):"Sure thing, boss. I'll let Merit lead the way."

Striker(into com):"Dankie. Keep us up to date if you find out more about
       what's going on."

Corsair(over com):"Gotcha, boss! Good luck!"

Striker turns to Arkadiy.

Striker:"We had better get moving before help arrives and find out what
         is going on. Whatever this is, it has affected the whole base."

Arkadiy:"Dah, I agree. Let's roll!"

Striker:"Shephard, you got night vision. Lead the way with Merit."

Shephard:"Yes, sir!"

Using his mask's built-in night vision goggles, Shephard finds the door
and helps lead the others out. Merit activates his armored shell's lights
while Phoenix creates a pair of fireballs in her paws to provide more
illumination. Now armed with the guards' weapons, they leave the incine-
rator room.

Men's Bathroom:

The men's bathroom, like the rest of the facility, has been plunged into
complete darkness. But moments later a trio of faint green lights appear
in the dark.

Gopher:"Ready?"

Technicians:"Ready and armed."

Gopher:"Let's roll. To the server room."

The lights move to the door as the three men, using night vision, leave
the bathroom.

Specimen Growth Laboratory:

For a moment it is pitch dark inside the laboratory, but one can still
hear the shouts from the scientists inside.

Scientist 1(German):"Lights! Where are the lights?"

Scientist 2(German):"The power is off! But where is the backup power?"

Scientist 3(German):"Wait, I have a flashlight with me. Let me just..."

Suddenly there is the sound of shattering glass, followed by the rush
of water spilling out of something.

Scientist 2(German):"Ach! What was that?!"

Scientist 1(German):"The specimens!"

The third scientist manages to get his flashlight turned on. When he
swings the beam of light around, the scientists see they are surrounded
by the mutants, now free of their cells. They let out screams of terror
as the angry mutants attack them, the flashlight dropping to the floor.

Security Center:

This is a square room with three of the four walls covered in monitors
and security terminals. Unlike the rest of the base, there is some light
here thanks to the torches carried by the security guards. The guards
themselves are frantically trying to get their systems back online and
communicate with the other guards in the rest of the facility. The door,
which is electronically opened, is forced open by a pair guards to allow
Schlectermann inside, followed by Kaufmann. The security chief in charge
turns to the German as he storms in.


Schlectermann(German):"What the h*** is going on?! Where's the power?"

Chief(German):"The reports we managed to get from our patrols indicate
     that the geothermal power plant has exploded."

Schlectermann(German):"But why isn't the backup power up? The generators
             are located away from the plant for just such a reason!"

Chief(German):"I have no idea, Herr Schlectermann. We have crews check-
     ing what is wrong."

Just then one of the security officers turns to them, covering the mouth-
piece of his headset's microphone to speak.

Officer 1(German):"Sir, the crew just reported in. The backup generators
        have been sabotaged. They're fixing them as quickly as possible."

Schlectermann is shocked by this information.

Schlectermann(German):"Sabotage? Who would dare... the Road Rovers!"

He quickly grabs the officer by the front of his uniform.

Schlectermann(German):"Quick! Call the incinerator room and find out if
             the Road Rovers are dead or not!"

Officer 1(German):"Er... Jawohl, Herr Schlectermann!"

The officer quickly turns back to his terminal and begins calling the
incinerator room. He waits for a reply, but there is no anwer. He tries
again, but after a minute he shakes his head.

Officer 1(German):"I'm not getting any answer."

Schlectermann turns to Kaufmann.

Schlectermann(German):"Go back there and make sure the Rovers are dead!"

Kaufmann(German):"But..."

Schlectermann(German):"NOW! Schnell! Schnell!"

Kaufmann quickly runs out of the security room to go gather up a posse of
security officers. At that moment another officer turns to the chief.

Officer 2(German):"Sir, we're getting reports that some of the mutants
         have broken free from their cells and are attacking the staff."

Chief(German):"Put all security teams on the alert."

The security chief turns to Schlectermann.

Chief(German):"Should we shoot to kill?"

Schlectermann thinks it over a bit and then sighs in frustration.

Schlectermann(German):"Fine! But only if they have no other choice. We
             need those specimens alive."

Chief(German):"Jawohl."

The chief turns back to the officers.

Chief(German):"Issue this order: all teams shoot any escaped mutants
     that poses a threat. Capture if possible."

Officers(German):"Issuing..."

As the officers send out the order, Schlectermann wipes his face with
both hands in frustration and anger.

Manufacturing Facility:

The manufacturing facility, while also in darkness, is lit up enough by 
flashlights and other light sources to be seen. It looks like a typical 
line production factory mixed with the sleek. high-tech look of a labora-
tory. A number of advanced weapons and equipment lie on the conveyor 
belts and workbenches, either partially assembled or completed. All of
the workers here wear lab coats over their overalls. Right now they are
clustered around the intercom, where one of them is trying to get hold
of security.

Worker 1(German, into intercom):"Hello? Hello? Is anybody out there?"

Worker 2(German):"No reply?"

Worker 1(German):"Nothing. I'm not getting any answers."

Worker 3(German):"Can we survive in here?"

Worker 4(German):"For a good while. The vents lead right up to the
        surface, so we should have plenty of air."

Worker 2(German):"But what is going on? What happened? And who was
        the genius who decided not to put in a mechanism to manually
        open the automatic doors should the power fail?"

Worker 4(German):"Your guess is as good as mine... Oh!"

Worker 1(German):"Vat is los?

Worker 4(German):"Look, there!"

The other workers look to where their colleague is pointing. They see a
big red glow appear on the lock of the two automatic doors that quickly
glows brighter and hotter. The workers move closer to the door, but keep
their distance from the heat.

Worker 3(German):"Thank Gott! They're cutting the door for us."

Worker 2(German):"With what? They're melting the door!"

Worker 3(German):"So? At least we're getting out."

The hot circle of heated metal starts melting. Within seconds the lock
has been completely metled, leaving only a gaping hole. A pair of hands
appear at the top of the doors and forces them open. The workers shine
their lights on the rescuers, one of them running forward.

Worker 1(German):"Thank goodness you..."

Suddenly a paw grabs him by the neck. The other workers are shocked when
their lights show that their rescuers are actually the Road Rovers. They
cower back as the Rovers growl at them.

Striker:"Hands in the air!"

Arkadiy:"Don't do anything stupid and we will not you. Otherwise..."

The workers cluster together as the Rovers surround them, claws and fangs
bared to show they mean business. Illanov, who is holding the first worker
by the neck, snarls at him.

Illanov:"Where are our weapons?"

Worker 1(German):"I don't understand..."

Illanov growls and tightens his grip around the worker's neck just enough
to keep him from choking.

Illanov:"I know you speak English. Now, where are our weapons?"

The worker panics and points his flashlight at a big table nearby. Illanov
goes over it, still holding the worker. He looks at the table's contents
and sees that all their confiscated weapons are lying here, untouched.

Illanov:"Thank you."

Illanov punches the worker in the face and drops him onto the floor. He 
then turns to the others.

Illanov:"Found our weapons, comrades."

Striker:"Good work, Alex. Toss them over."

Illanov nods, picks up Striker's sonic rifle and revolver and throws them 
to the spaniel. Striker catches the weapons and arms himself. One by one
Illanov gives the others their weapons back. At the same time they keep
the workers under guard. While waiting, Arkadiy looks at Reese.

Arkadiy:"Can your powers pick up any kind of electronic signals within the
         facility?"

Reese shakes his head.

Reese:"Nothing, Ark. The whole facility's communication system is down."

Arkadiy:"What about portably radios? They must have those."

Reese:"Probably, but I haven't pick up anyone using them. Guess they had
       relied too much on the facility's own systems."

Suddenly voices, speaking in English and sounding deep and guttural, come 
from outside the manufacturing facility.

Voice 1:"You sure this right way?"

Voice 2:"Yes. Weapons are here."

Moments later a pair of cano-mutants, a border collie and a spaniel, come
in. Both of them are wearing only torn fatigue pants. One of the workers
shouts in alarm.

Worker 2(German):"Mein Gott! The mutants are loose!"

The collie mutant looks at the Rovers.

Collie:"Who you?"

Striker:"We are the Road Rovers. We are not on these humans' side."

Collie:"Oooo! You help us kill them?"

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Nee, we don't kill these humans unless in self defence."

Collie:"You not kill? Then you enemy!"

The collie roars and takes a swipe at Striker with his sharp claws. The
spaniel ducks, the claws just brushing over his headfur. Arkadiy runs
up and punches the mutant, but he barely flinches. The collie growls and
swipes at Ark, but he jumps back out of range. Striker gets up and fires
his sonic rifle, the sonic blast knocking the angry border collie against
a wall. The other mutant rushes for the terrified human workers, claws
and fangs ready to strike. But Merit rolls in between them.

Merit:"Do note that I be forced to..."

The mutant, charging at full force, is unable to stop in time and collides
wit the robot. Merit is knocked off his treads and onto his shell's back
while the mutant crashes to the floor.

Merit:"Oh dear. This floor is filthy."

The spaniel mutant tries to get up, but Natsu rushes up and karate chops
him on the neck.

Natsu:"Hiya! Down boy!"

Natsu hits the correct pressure points, causing the mutant to pass out 
and collapse flat on the floor. Phoenix and Bandit come over and help
pull Merit back onto his treads.

Phoenix:"You okay, Merit?"

Merit:"All systems functional and shell integrity is optimal."

Phoenix:"A simple 'yes' would do."

Striker and Arkadiy come over to the mutants and look at them. Arkadiy 
kneels down, rolls the collie over onto his side and examines him. He
spots something on his neck.

Arkadiy:"Comrade, look at this."

Striker kneels down and checks what Arkadiy is pointing to. Though the
light is somewhat dim, Striker can see that on the back of the mutant's
neck is a square piece of metal with all kinds of electronics in it. It
seems to be connected with the mutant's spine. In the centre is a small
square hole with dozens of electronic synapses running from it.

Striker:"So this is Schlectermann's work. He is creating these mutants
         and then uses these devices to control them."

Arkadiy:"They must have broken free during the power cut. But do you
         see that spot in the middle? Seems this device is missing a
         key component."

Striker:"Ja. Probably a chip that keeps them in line. Without it, they
         are on a rampage."


Arkadiy:"So what is the plan now, comrade?"

The two of them stand up.

Striker:"Its a bit murky with this power failure, but I think our goals
         should be to find those canines who have not been transformed
         and rescue them, capture Schlectermann and get as much evidence
         as we can."

Arkadiy:"And this lot?"

Arkadiy gestures to the humans.

Striker:"We will have to leave them to their own devices until we can get
         a NATO or UN task force here. We don't have the numbers to
         control them."

Arkadiy:"I agree."

Striker:"Reg. Everyone, gather around."

The two Rover teams come together to allow their leaders to explain the
next course of action.

Server Room:

This is a large, square room with a smooth, white tile floor and walls.
Three rows of large server banks, with black fronts and grey sides, are
standing here in the room. However, unlike the rest of the facility, the
room's lights are still on and the servers still have power. A security
guard and a computer technician are here.

Technician(German):"What is going out there? Was there an explosion?"

Guard(German):"Yes, there was. The power plant exploded, and power is 
     down all over the facility. Including our backup power, apparently."

Technician(German):"Backup power? But everything is on in here."

Guard(German):"That is why I'm here. We're puzzled as to why this room
     has backup power while the rest of the facility doesn't."

Technician(German):"I have no idea... maybe these people know?"

The technician gestures to the one entrance, which is a pair of clear-
glass doors. Gopher and his two followers are coming in, fully armed.
The guard looks suspiciously at them.

Guard(German):"Who are you? And why are you armed like that?"

The three men don't reply. Instead, they open fire on the two, gunning
them down while avoiding to hit the servers. The guard and the technician
collapse to the floor with barely a scream. Gopher turns to his own
technicians.

Gopher:"Right, all clear. Get to work."

Technicians:"Yes, sir."

The group go to the servers, going into one of the aisles separating
the rows of computers. The technicians find a particular server and
open it up. They then take out a laptop, turn it on and connect it to
the server. Gopher watches them work.

Gopher:"How long will this take?"

Technician 1:"About ten minutes. We know where the files are and we can
              quickly transfers them to our laptop."

Gopher:"Good. Make it so."


While the two technicians get to work on searching for what they need,
Gopher marches up and down the server rows with his weapon ready and
his eyes and ears open. After five minutes he hears something from the
entrance and ducks behind the servers. Coming into the room is Merit,
followed by Natsu. Corsair is following them via Merit's systems.

Corsair(over com):"Okay, here's the server room. Wonder why the lights
       are still on here?"

Natsu:"I don't know, but I think we got a bigger problem here..."

She points to the bodies on the floor.

Corsair(over com):"Oh boy. I wonder if its more mutants?"

Merit:"My scanner indicates that they have been deceased for approxi-
       mately four minutes."

Natsu readies her taser gun.

Natsu:"So they might still be here."

Corsair(over com):"Better not stick around too long, then. Let's get
       to a server and see what we can grab."

Merit and Natsu approach the nearest server computer. Merit opens the
toolkit in his chest and takes out a cutting tool. The robot cuts open
the lock, allowing Natsu to open the server. She then connects Merit
to the server via a cable.

Natsu:"There. We're ready on this side."

Corsair(over com):"Okay, let me see if I can connect..."

Natsu:"We'll keep a lookout."

Corsair(over com):"Gotcha... ah, there we go. I'm in."

As Corsair checks the system he comes across something unusual.

Corsair(over com):"Hey, someone else is also illegally accessing the 
       servers."

Natsu:"From where?"

Corsair(over com):"Right in the server room. I think the guys who shot
       those people are still here."

Natsu frowns, readying her taser. Gopher retreats back to the technicians.

Gopher(whispering):"We got company. Its the Road Rovers."


The two technicians look up in alarm.

Technician 1(whispering):"They're here?"

Gopher(whispering):"Right in this room. How far are you?"

Technician 1(whispering):"Its still transferring. I need just a few
            minutes."

Gopher nods and looks at the second technician.

Gopher(whispering):"They're two of them here. One is a robot they are
      using to access the servers. I'll deal with the lone Rover while
      you go after the robot."

Technician 2(whispering):"Gotcha."

Gopher(whispering):"Let's go."

The two of them begin creeping up along the servers. At the same time,
Natsu is walking down the central aisle between the server rows. Gopher
spots Natsu's reflection in the clean tile floor. He signals to the
technician to go around. The man nods and moves to the far end of the
room while Gopher goes to the edge of the aisle, listening to Natsu as
she gets closer. Just as she reaches the row where Gopher, the human
jumps up and kicks her. Natsu yelps and falls backwards onto the floor
of the row opposite. Gopher readies his Bullpup submachine gun and
takes aim at Natsu. Her eyes widen.

Natsu:"Oh sh-"

Natsu rolls to one side as Gopher opens fire. Natsu uses her phasing
power to roll right through the server. Gopher stops shooting, surprised
by what he saw.

Gopher:"What... how?"

He quickly moves down the aisle to the next row, swinging his Bullpup
over to fire right away. But the next row is also empty. Gopher slowly
walks down the aisle, checking left and right down each row for signs of
the Rover. However, behind him Natsu phases out from a server and sneaks
up behind him, readying her taser and taking aim. But just as she is
about to fire, the rubber soles of her boots make an audible squeak on 
the smooth tile floor. Gopher hears this sound and takes action. He jumps
into a row just as Natsu fires her taser, the darts just missing him. The
Shiba-Inu phases back through a server as Gopher fires a quick burst from
his gun. Gopher jumps up and presses his back against a server, his eyes
darting back and forth. Natsu is hiding on the other side, trying to
figure out the next plan of action. Meanwhile, the technician stops and
peers around the corner of a server row. He spots Merit, who is still
focused on the connection while his head swivels robotically left and
right.

Merit:"Scans clear. No hostiles."

Corsair(over com):"Geez, what's with all these lag spikes?"

The technician kneels down, sets his Bullpup to single fire and takes
aim at Merit's head. He pulls the trigger and the machine guns fires a
single shot at the robot. But the shot ricochets off Merit's armoured
shell.

Merit:"Impact detected."

Corsair(over com):"Was that a shot?"

Merit swings his head over to see where it came from and spots the man
at the end of the server row. Realizing he is spotted and that firearms
will not work on Merit's battle shell, the technician jumps up and rushes
for the robot. Before Merit can lock onto him, the human tackles the
robot. The impact doesn't knock Merit from his treads, but it does pull
the cable free from the server and severs the connection.

Corsair(over com):"Hey! I've been disconnected! Merit, what's going on?
       Everything is moving too fast."

Merit:"Am engaged with hostiles. Will send feedback shortly."

Merit spins left and right, trying to shake the technician off of him,
but the man holds on and tries to bash the robot with the butt of his
firearm. Neither of them can get an advantage over the other.


Corsair(over com):"Merit! Where is that guy? I keep seeing a hand in
       front of the lens."

Merit:"The subject is currently on my person. It is very difficult to
       target him."

Corsair(over com):"Merit, I got an idea! Can you reroute extra power to
       that static generator that keeps the dirt off you?"

Merit:"That is correct, though doing so will violate Occupational Health 
       and Safety Authority  standards."

Corsair(over com):"Forgot OHSA! The guy's a dirt bag trying to kill you!"

Merit:"Dirt? Oh dear, then I must clean it off."

Merit begins charging up the static generator inside his shell.

Merit:"Discharging."

There is a burst of electricity that goes through Merit's shell, the
shock of which sending the technician flying. The man lands hard on the
floor and groans in pain, stunned by the discharge. Merit turns to the
man.

Merit:"Foreign particles successfully removed."

Corsair(over com):"Hey, nice! Well done, Merit. Can you reconnect to
       the server?"

Merit:"Affirmative. I will re-establish the connection."

Merit rolls back to the server, picks up the cable and reconnects himself
with the server.

Corsair(over com):"Great! We're back in business!"

Meanwhile, Gopher is still creeping along the rows of servers and seeking
Natsu, who is hiding in the next row and listening for any sound coming
from the human. She manages to pick up the sound of his footsteps and is
about to dive through the servers to tackle him.

Technician 1:"Transfer is done! I'm finished here!"

Gopher quickly runs back to the technician, foiling Natsu's plan. However
she decides to follow, phasing through the servers until she is close
enough to hear them. Gopher has come to the technician, who is busy
shutting down the laptop and unplugging the cable.

Gopher:"Did you get everything?"

Technician 1:"Yeah. Schlectermann and EuroCorp's AniCom now belong to the
              Vanguard."

Gopher:"Good work. Let's get back topside to the extraction point. How
        long do we have before they get backup power restored?"

Technician 1:"Not very long now. Their own techs probably are working on
              fixing our little act of sabotage. But with all these 
              mutants running around I wouldn't know for sure."

Gopher:"True, but its good for us. It will keep Schlectermann's security,
        and hopefully the Road Rovers, occupied while we make our escape."

Technician 1:"I just hope our ride is there when we get to the point.
              Okay, I'm done!"

The technician stands up, having finished packing his gear, and gets his
own Bullpup machine gun ready.

Gopher:"Excellent! Now let's get out of here, quickly."

Technician 1:"Right... er, where is Tech Two?"

Gopher frowns and looks around.

Gopher:"He must still be with..."

Natsu comes phasing out from a server, puts her one arm around Gopher's
neck and grabs his other arm holding his firearm. The canine forces him
into an arm lock while the technician points his Bullpup at her. She
growls at him.

Natsu:"Drop it!"

Technician 1:"I'll drop you first!"

Natsu:"Not before I break your friend's bones. Now drop your weapon or
       I..."

The second technician, looking a little worse for wear, comes up behind
Natsu and hits her across the head with his Bullpup. Natsu yelps before
collapsing to the floor. Gopher gets free of the Shiba-Inu.

Gopher:"Thanks. Where were you?"

Technician 2:"I tried to stop their robot from getting on the server,
              but the d*** machine gave me a shock. I look like s***."

Gopher:"Never mind. We got the files we need, so let's get out of here
        now. Come on!"

The trio rush past the unconscious Natsu and head for the exit. They
pass by Merit, who is too distracted again to notice their passing. They
go out the doors and into the dark hallways.

Prototype Testing Laboratory:

This large room is filled with computers, terminals and lab tables covered
with all kinds of scientific paraphernalia. In the centre of the room
are several rows of computerized chairs, a number of them with a sleeping
mutant in them. The mutants are dressed in high-tech armor and fitted
with all kinds of weapon augmentations. Scientists with flash lights are
checking on each of the mutants. The two automatic doors that lead into
the lab are forced open by several security guards, the sounds of gunfire
coming from beyond startling the scientists. Kaufmann comes stumbling in,
visibly shaken.

Kaufmann(German):"Who's in charge here?"

An older female scientist approaches, holding a flashlight.

Scientist(German):"I am. What..."

Kaufmann(German):"Get these mutants all up and combat ready. And be quick."

The scientist, as well as a few of her colleagues, look in shock at 
Kaufmann.

Scientist(German):"But Herr Kaufmann! We haven't finished all the tests
         yet! We're not sure if the control serums will work properly!"

Kaufmann points to the door, where the guards are firing at unknown
targets in the darkened corridors.

Kaufmann(German):"You see that? Hear that? We have a crisis on our hands
        here! There is a crisis out there! This facility, and YOUR lives,
        are under threat! We need these soldiers to regain control! You
        understand, yah?"

The scientists look reluctantly at their leader. She sighs and nods.

Scientist(German):"Yawohl, Herr Kaufmann. We'll get to work right away."

While Kaufmann watches, the scientists get to work. They gather a number
of syringes filled with a reddish liquid and begin to inject them into
the mutants. One by one, as mutant is injected, their eyes come open.

Holding Pens:

The large hall where the unmutated canines are being kept more resembled
a pig pen, with additional wire nets to keep the dogs inside their pens.
Aside from the canines, the place is devoid of the caretaker staff, who
fled the ensuing chaos. The dogs are all barking in the darkness. But
then a light appears when a door is forced open. Phoenix, Reese and Bard
come in, guided by the fireballs in Phoenix's paws. They stop and look
around as Phoenix tosses a few fireballs around to act as flares.

Reese:"Look at all these dogs. Not the best place for them to be."

Bard:"They look all right, but those cages very sparse and basic. I would
      not spend much time in them."

Phoenix:"Let's open the cages and get them out."

The three of them split up and begin to break open the locks keeping the
dog pens closed. Phoenix uses the heat from her paws to melt the locks,
while Reese and Bard simply smash them open with extinguishers they had
removed from the walls. As the cages swing open, the dogs all rush out
and bark excitedly at their rescuers, tails wagging. Bard checks up on
the canines as they are freed, making sure none of them are sick or
seriously injured. She pets a young and excited male Jack Russell.

Bard:"There now, you're a happy doggy, aren't you?"

The dog barks excitedly, but then immediately begins to whimper and move
backwards.

Bard:"Hey! What's wrong?"

Some of the other dogs start growl. Bard blinks and looks behind her. At
one of the entrances of the kennels stands one of the escaped mutants,
a male Pug wielding a pipe and dressed with some armor stolen from the
guards. Bard jumps to her feet and reaches for her pistol.

Bard:"Heads up! We got company!"

Phoenix and Reese become alert, immediately turning to the Pug. The Pug
points at them with the pipe.

Pug:"Who you?"

Phoenix:"We are Road Rovers. We've come to rescue these dogs from the
         humans."

Pug:"You help?"

Phoenix:"Yes, we help."

Reese and Bard have their pistols ready as they look cautiously at the
big Pug. Most of the other dogs are growling at the strange creature as
the mutant scratches its head in apparent thought. Finally, the Pug
nods.

Pug:"Me okay with help. Me help y..."

A shot rings out and several shotgun pellets strike the Pug from behind.
The mutant gasps once, then collapses to the floor. Shocked, the Rovers
aim their weapons to where the Pug was. Coming into the Kennel is another
mutant, escorted by a pair of armed security guards in riot gear. But
this mutant, a male Bulldog, is dressed in several layers of heavy kevlar 
armor, including a German-style military helmet and thick boots. The
mutant is carrying a shotgun that has been modified to suit his size. The
guards at first don't notice the Rovers.

Guard 1(German):"Got another loose one."

Guard 2(German):"Yah, but he got all the others free. Let's..."


But then the guards spot the Rovers and gasp.

Guard 1(German):"It's ze Road Rovers!"

Phoenix immediately tosses the two fireballs into her paws at the guards
before they can fire. The fireballs set their uniforms on fire, causing
them to drop their weapons and lie on the floor to try and extinguish the
flames. The Bulldog takes aim at Phoenix, but she drops to the floor as
the mutant fires his shotgun. The pellets smash into the tiled wall and
send broken tiles and plaster raining down upon Phoenix. While the large
mutant is shooting at Phoenix, Reese gets close enough to it without
being spotted. The Terrier gets out his taser, takes aim and fires a pair 
of electric darts at an unprotected part of mutant's body. The darts
strike the mutant in the side of the hips and immediately send jolts of
electricity from the taser through into his body. However, the bulldog
barely flinches. Growling, the mutant grabs the wires and pulls the
darts out, much to Reese's surprise.

Reese:"Uh oh. You're a tough lad."

Reese backs away and reaches for his pistol. The mutant whips around
and fires his shotgun at Reese. Reese jumps out of the way, but some of
the pellets hit his tail. He yelps out in pain and lands hard on the
floor. The mutant moves in for the kill and takes aim again. A shot
rings out and a bullet hits the bulldog's shoulder armor. Though it 
only causes a bruise, the impact throws the mutant's aim off. He turns
and sees Bard standing there with her pistol raised.

Bard:"Walk away from the terrier, you furball."

The bulldog swings his shotgun over to fire at Bard. Bard is able to
take cover before the shotgun discharges pellets over her head. The
bulldog charges forward to where Bard is hiding, only to feel the im-
pact of bullets on his rear armor. The mutant turns around and fires
haphazardly at the source. Reese had managed to crawl up and take a
few shots with his own pistol. The Terrier drops down to the floor, but
the badly-aimed pellets miss him by a wide margin. The bulldog tries
to rush Reese, but a fireball flies by his face, singeing his muzzle
fur and causing him to yelp in pain. Growling and rubbing his snout,
the mutant looks to see Phoenix standing nearby with two fireballs in
her paws.

Phoenix:"What? Am I too hot for you?"

Suddenly there is a pair of clicks to her left. Phoenix looks and sees
the two security guards, their uniforms badly scorched but extinguished
of the flames. They have their guns aimed at her head.

Guard:"Don't move, Rover."

Phoenix gulps and looks back at the mutant. The bulldog grins as he
sees his enemy is trapped. He raises his shotgun, takes aim at Phoenix
and prepares to pull the trigger. But at that moment the other dogs in
the kennel see that their rescuer is in trouble and charge for the
mutant. They pounce and begin biting at the bulldog's legs, arms and
rump. The mutant yells out in pain as the dogs start biting, startling
the two guards. Phoenix takes this brief distraction to reach out, grab
their heads and bash them together. The two security guards collapse to
the floor, out cold.

Phoenix:"Now that's putting your heads together."

She turns to look at the mutant. The bulldog flails about, trying to
fight off the numerous snarling, growling and biting dogs. Bard uses
this opportunity to rush over to the injured Reese.

Bard:"You okay? I saw you get hit."

Reese:"Just a flesh wound, Bard. Nothing serious."

Bard:"Nothing serious, my tail! Let me see that."

While Bard checks on Reese, the mutant manages to fight off all the dogs
by using its shotgun as a club. Dogs yelp in pain as the bulldog knocks
them off, forcing the rest to back off. Triumphant, the bulldog takes
aim at Reese and Bard again. Suddenly Phoenix jumps up behind him and

wraps one around his neck.

Phoenix:"Guess who!"

The bulldog flails about, trying to grab Phoenix or shake her off. But
the Pomeranian holds on tight to the mutant's neck as she is thrown
about. Phoenix then goes and bites the bulldog's one ear. The bulldog
yelps out in pain, then in a fit, turns the shotgun around and aims it
at Phoenix's head, and his own. Phoenix's eyes go wide.

Phoenix:"..."

She lets go just as the mutant pulls the trigger. The shotgun discharges
its load of buckshot, but the pellets just fly through Phoenix's hair,
missing her skull and ears by inches. The bulldog isn't so lucky and
takes a faceful. Seconds later, the shotgun drops to the floor and the
mutant topples over like a giant tree. Phoenix sits up, staring at the
dead mutant.

Phoenix:"Not the brightest light in the night sky."

She gets up and goes over to Reese and Bard. Bard is busy bandaging
Reese's tail.

Phoenix:"You two okay?"

Reese:"I'm all right. She keeps insisting on mothering me."

Bard:"Mothering, nothing. You need to get this bandaged, mister. Even a
      so-called flesh wound can be deadly if left untreated."

Reese rolls his eyes and sighs.

Phoenix:"Once you two finish playing doctor-doctor, we'll need to begin
         herding these dogs back up to the surface. Seems Schlectermann
         has unleashed his own cano-mutants on us."

Reese:"And yet somehow he's made them even dumber than Parvo's."

The Irish Terrier gestures to the dead mutant lying nearby.

Phoenix:"Yeah, but they are still armed and dangerous. Come on."

Phoenix helps Reese back up to his feet once Bard is done. They gather up
all the dogs, who are eagerly barking and wagging their tails. The three
of them then lead all the canines out of the kennel, keeping their eyes
open and weapons ready for any more trouble.

Sonic & Stealth Rover
Rendevoux Point:

The two Rover vehicles are parked on a shore of one of the many islands
in the area. With only a single light on in each of the cockpits, the
vehicles are almost not visible in the dark. In the Sonic Rover is Harva,
listening to her communications collar.

Phoenix(over com):"Harva, you there?"

Harva(into com):"Right here, Phoenix. You guys all right so far? Corsair
     has been focused on getting the files from the data server."

Phoenix(over com):"We're okay, but things are going crazy here. Reese,
       Bard and I have freed the dogs. Natsu and Merit have joined us in
       getting them to the surface, but we need you guys here. We can't
       take the freighter anymore. Things are just too out of control
       down here."

Harva(into com):"Okay, we're on our way. Hang tight."

Harva then calls Corsair.

Harva(into com):"Corsair, do you read?"

There is a brief period of silence before Corsair answers.

Corsair(over com):"Yeah, I just finished up with the data Merit got. 
       What's up?"

Harva(into com):"We need to go and help the others with the dogs they've
     freed. Things are apparently chaotic down there."

Corsair(over com):"What about the freighter we took over? Can't they use
       it?"

Harva(into com):"That no longer appears to be viable. We've got to go in
     and help."

Corsair(over com):"Okay. Let's just hope we don't run into trouble. I can
       barely fly this thing, never mind dogfight in it."

A short time later, the Sonic and Stealth Rover's engines fire up and the
two aircraft take to the skies. They both fly towards the base, staying
low over the water.

Topside
Hidden Base:

The surface buildings of the base have been plunged into darkness due to
a lack of power. The only illumination comes from flashlights carried by
some of the guards and workers and the lights on the freighter. With all
the chaos that is going on, the main entrance into the base has been left 
unguarded. Here Phoenix, Reese, Natsu, Merit and Bard are herding the dogs
they have rescued to the exit. Phoenix is providing light by using the
fire in her paws.

Phoenix:"Merit, can you scan ahead and see if there is anyone?"

Merit:"That is confirmed. Executing scan."

Merit checks the area up ahead. While the main doors are still open, a 
pair of trucks have been pulled up to form a roadblock. In front of the
vehicles lie a number of bodies, one of them an escaped mutant and the
rest are security guards. Merit relays the information to Phoenix.

Phoenix:"Guess they somehow managed to kill themselves in a fight."

Merit:"Negative. The security guards were terminated a short time period

       ago."

Phoenix:"Long after the mutant?"

Merit:"Positive."

Phoenix:"Then that means we still got hostiles around here somewhere.
         Let's keep our eyes peeled."

Reese's ears suddenly perk up as his cyber telepathy power picks up several
electronic signals. He concentrates as Bard notices him.

Bard:"You got something, Reese?"

Reese:"I think so... give me a moment."

The Irish Terrier concentrates on the signals he is picking up, listening
to what is being said while the others wait for him to finish. A minute
later he opens his eyes and looks at Natsu.

Reese:"I think I've found those three men you fought in the server room.
       They've called for an extraction, and three helicopters are coming
       up to the base."

Natsu:"So they're definitely not with Schlectermann. Can you tell who
       they are?"

Reese:"I heard the name 'Vanguard' a few times."

Phoenix sighs and shakes her head.

Phoenix:"Oh no, not them again."

Bard:"Who is the Vanguard, Phoenix?"

Phoenix:"The Vanguard is a group of disgruntled ex-Earth Defence Force
         agents. We ran into them in the States, where they had kid-
         napped Strikie and held Firefly. We took them down and thought
         that was it."

Natsu:"Looks like they've expanded their operations."

Reese:"And it can't be good."

Phoenix:"Agreed. Come on. Let's see if we can catch them before their
         friends arrive. Can you locate them, Reese?"

Reese:"I can take you to more or less the location from where they had
       made their call."

Phoenix:"Okay, lead the way, Reese."

Reese takes the lead and the group moves forward towards the tunnel exit.
Outside on a guard tower, a lone security guard is trying to radio the
base for information.

Guard(German, into radio):"Base, this is Tower Two. Can you give me an 
     update?"

There is no answer. The guard tries again.

Guard(German, into radio):"This is Tower Two. Anybody, come in!"

There is still no answer. The guard sighs in frustration.

Guard(German):"What is going down there?"

Suddenly he ears something in the distance. The guard becomes alert,
listening to the sound as it gets closer. His head turns to the direc-
tion from where it is coming. The sound quickly becomes that of three
helicopter blades. The guard grabs the radio again.

Guard(German, into radio):"Base, come in! I hear helicopters coming
     our way. Is it ours? Respond!"

The guard can make out the three helicopters' shapes: two small ones
with a larger one in between. Suddenly there is a glow from under one
of the smaller choppers. The glow gets brighter and brighter as it
gets closer to the tower. The guard's eyes widen.

Guard(German):"Mein G..."

A powerful sonic blast strikes the tower, smashing it apart. Another
sonic blast fired from the other small helicopter hits another nearby
tower, smashing the supports and causing it to fall over like a felled
tree. The alarm is raised and orders are shouted across the base while
the crew on the freighter use their searchlights to illuminate the in-
coming helicopters. The smaller helicopters are small, single-seat craft
painted black and with a pair of sonic cannons similar to that of the
Rhino attached to their sides. The larger helicopter resembles a Black-
hawk but two tilt rotors on a pair of wings. It is also painted pitch 
black and has mounted plasma cannons like Illanov's at each of its side 
doors. These are called Mosquitoes and Condor helicopters, respectively.
While the Mosquitoes continue to bombard the base with sonic blasts, the
Condor lowers down to one of the empty helicopters. Some of the guards
open fire on the helicopters, but their small arms do little against the
well-armoured choppers. The Condor's crews respond by firing plasma
blasts at the attackers, sending mounds of dirt and snow flying into the
air. A rear door on the Condor opens, allowing a dozen armed men dressed
in arctic combat gear and carrying a mixture of western firearms and a
few EDF sonic weapons. The men form a circle around the Condor. From a
nearby building, Gopher and the two technicians appear and head for this
helicopter. As they approach, one of the soldiers, who is wearing a black
beret steps forward.

Beret:"State the password!"

Gopher:"Thunderball."

The Black Beret grins.

Beret:"Glad to see you, Gopher."

Gopher goes up and shakes hands with the Beret.

Gopher:"Same here, sir."

Beret:"You got the information?"

Gopher:"Every single file. And that fool Schlectermann is none the wiser."

While they are talking, the Rovers are watching them from behind the
building where Gopher and his team had come from. 

Phoenix:"Is that them?"

Natsu:"Yeah, that's the three guys from the server room."

Phoenix:"Then let's see if we can crash their little party."

But before they can take action, the sound of jet engines begins mixing with
that of the helicopters' rotor blades. On the helipad Beret and Gopher look
around, hearing the noise.

Gopher:"What's that sound? Is that ours?"

Beret:"We only have the helicopters, so that..."

Beret looks around and spots the source of the noise: the Stealth and 
Sonic Rovers are coming in for a landing. Gopher recognizes the aircraft.

Gopher:"Its the Road Rovers!"


Beret quickly uses a com unit fitted around his head to call the two
Mosquitoes.

Beret(into com):"This is Task Leader to Wingmen! We got two hostile bogeys
     incoming from the east!"

Pilots(over com):"Copy, Task Leader. Engaging contacts."


The Mosquitoes break off their strafing of ground targets to focus on the
incoming Sonic and Stealth Rovers. Meanwhile, Harva and Corsair are making
the final approach for a landing, having not yet seen the helicopters.
Corsair has just put the Stealth Rover into VTOL mode.

Corsair:"Okay, just got to remember my simulator training. Nice and easy."

A bright flash up ahead makes him look up. He spots the one Mosquito and
the sonic blast it had fired him. His eyes jump wide in surprise.

Corsair:"Oh c***!"

He yanks the flight controls in an evasion attempt. The sonic blast grazes
the edge of the wing before smashing into a cluster of trees further back.
Splinters and pieces of branches fly through the air from the resulting
blast. Corsair barely manages to keep the Stealth Rover airborne, fighting
with the controls. The Stealth Rover's landing gear scrapes along the roof
of one of the buildings, breaking off a number of tiles. Harva spots what
is going on and looks to see the other Mosquito closing in.

Harva:"Oh no you don't!"

Harva engages the thrusts and barrels down towards the smaller helicopter.
The chopper pilot is startled by this maneuver and is forced to break off
the attack to dodge. Harva pulls up just before impact and the Sonic Rover
flies right above the Mosquito. The draft caused by the passing aircraft
causes the chopper to spin out and crash to the ground. The rotor blades 
break off, sending up clouds of snow where they fall. Harva then calls
Corsair.

Harva(into com):"You okay there, Corsair?"

Corsair(over com):"Yeah, but I need to pull back. That chopper wants to
       get the bullseye on me and I don't know how to operate the guns
       while flying at the same time."

Harva(into com):"I'll give you cover while you land, okay?"

Corsair(over com):"Thanks, Harva!"

While Harva turns the Sonic Rover to engage the second Mosquito, down on
the ground some of the Vanguard soldiers rush over to the crashed chopper
to help the crews out. Beret points to the Sonic Rover.

Beret:"Take them down!"

Two of the Vanguard soldiers climb out of the helicopter, each carrying a
Plasma rifle in their hands. From nearby the Rovers watch those men get
out and prepare to fire.

Natsu:"Hey! Those guys have the same guns as Alex does!"

Phoenix:"Yes, and if they are the same as Alex's own plasma rifle they
         shoot down the Sonic and Stealth. We'd better move now! Let's
         go!"

Bard stays behind to keep the normal dogs in line while the rest move out
from cover. On the helipad the two Plasma-wielding soldiers take aim at
the Sonic Rover. But just then Phoenix tosses some fireballs at them.

Phoenix:"Think fast!"

The soldiers break their aim when the fireballs land at their feet and
cause them to jump back. Gopher and Beret whip around to face the Rovers.

Gopher:"More Rovers!"

Beret:"Gopher, get your people on the Condor! Rest of you, provide cover
       fire!"

Gopher and the two technicians rush for the Condor while Beret and his
soldiers go prone and return fire. The Rovers duck for cover, but before
Phoenix can get to cover, a sonic blast strikes her and sends her flying
hard against a wall. She yelps in pain before collapsing in the snow.

Bard:"Phoenix is down! Cover me!"

Natsu:"Right!"

As Bard goes to Phoenix and Reese returns fire, Natsu sinks into the
ground. Beret notices that Phoenix is down and takes a second aim with
his Sonic Rifle. Natsu then pops up under Beret, grabs the rifle and
thrusts it at Beret. The rifle smacks him in the face and knocks him
over. The other soldiers turn to shoot back at Natsu, but she smugly
waves and dives back into the ground. The soldiers go and help Beret
up, who's nose is now bleeding.

Beret:"Forget them... let's leave!"

The Vanguard soldiers pile into the Condor, helping Beret and the pilots
of the downed Mosquito on board. The Condor then lifts off, covered by
the remaining Mosquito. An explosion then blasts apart the downed chopper
thanks to a planted remote bomb. With the helicopters flying away, the
Sonic and Stealth Rovers come flying in. Reese looks at Bard, who is
treating Phoenix.

Reese:"How is she?"

Bard:"She took quite a hit. We'd better get on board."

Reese:"And quickly, before Schlectermann's guards turn their full atten-
       tion from the Vanguard to us."

Once the Sonic and Stealth have landed, Harva and Corsair open the main
cargo doors and come out with their weapons ready. While Bard carries
the injured Phoenix in her arms, Reese and Merit fire at those guards 
who have started taking potshots at the Rover aircraft. Natsu leads the
packs of normal dogs with a series of barks, urging them to the two
aircraft ramps. Sensing freedom, the dogs all bark and yap excitedly
and dash for the ramps. Corsair is nearly forced off the ramp by the
stampede of dogs.

Corsair:"Oh man, this is going to smell bad later."

Bard carries Phoenix onto the Stealth Rover. Corsair blinks as he sees
them.

Corsair:"Is she okay?"

Bard:"She took a hit from a sonic rifle."

Corsair:"What? Striker shot his own wife?"

Bard:"No, these men with the helicopters shot her. They're the Vanguard."

Corsair:"Wait, the Vanguard? What are those guys doing here?"

Bard:"Don't know, but they caused the chaos in Schlectermann's base."

Bard carries Phoenix up the ramp while Corsair fires his laser pistol at
a security guard on the freighter. By now almost all of the guards have
shifted their focus from the Vanguard to the Rovers and are firing from
all directions. But the Rovers have managed to get the dogs all loaded
onto their vehicles. They rush in, close all the doors and start up the
engines. The security guards rush forward in an attempt to grab onto the
two aircraft. But the Sonic and Stealth Rovers kick up a huge amount of
snow as they lift off. This causes the guards to stop and step back,
shielding their eyes from the blizzard. The two aircraft fly off from
the base with a few security guards still firing futilely at them.

Inner Sanctum
Underground Base:

The heart of the facility, the Inner Sanctum is a large, circular room
with a big dome-like ceiling. Four large steel pillars form a circle
for catwalks above the floor and around a large machine. At the top of
the machine is what appears to be several screens around a sophisticated
computer terminal. Banners of the Iron Guard are painted on the dome's
walls. Despite the power loss, the computer and the machine seems to be
operational, with the glow from several blue tubes providing some light.
Three large doorways lead to the floor of the Sanctum, while a catwalk
runs from the terminal to a smaller exit. Each large doorway is connected
to a long corridor. Coming down one of the corridors is the rest of the
Rovers: Striker, Arkadiy, Illanov and Bandit. Arkadiy is on the radio with
Harva.

Arkadiy(into radio):"You got the dogs out?"

Harva(over radio):"Yes, but we had some trouble. The Vanguard came to pick
     up their men and we had to deal with them. Phoenix was injured in the
     process."

Striker looks alarmed at Arkadiy when hears it.

Striker:"Wat!"

Arkadiy(into radio):"How bad is Phoenix's injuries?"

Harva(over radio):"Bard is treating her. So far she hasn't suffered any
     serious injuries, but she's going to be on her back for a while."

Arkadiy:"She's all right, comrade Striker. She'll just be down and out for
         a while."

Striker sighs and nods.

Striker:"Reg. I should focus on the mission ahead. Better let them know."

Arkadiy(into radio):"We're on our way to confront Schlectermann, Harva.
       We'll call you again when we need an extraction."

Harva(over radio):"All right. Good luck and be careful down there."

Arkadiy(into radio):"Dah. Over and out."

Just as Arkadiy puts his radio away, the lights suddenly come back on to
light up the corridor.

Bandit:"Looks like they finally managed to restore power."

Striker:"Which means they are getting everything back under control, so 
         we had better get moving and get Schlectermann."

The Rovers finally come to one of the doors blocking the way. Striker and
Arkadiy slide their fingers in between the doors and force them open. As
they come into the Sanctum, Schlectermann appears at the terminal and
looks down at them.

Schlectermann:"Ach so. Ze legendary Road Rovers."

The Rovers look up at the German scientist.

Striker:"Surrender, Schlectermann. Or do you want to do this the hard way
         as many others before you had tried and failed?"

Schlectermann:"Nein and nein again! AniCom has come too far to be brought
               down now. The Iron Guard will triumph!"

Arkadiy:"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

Bandit:"And your EuroCorp buddies will definitely do something about you
        once they found out you've been pulling the wool over their eyes."

Schlectermann snickers.

Schlectermann:"Zose French idiots? Ze can easily be dealt with. As for
               you Road Rovers..."

He quickly turns to the terminal and pushes a button on it before the
Rovers can react. The lights on the giant machine suddenly go from blue
to red. The Rovers then yelp and cover their ears in pain.

Illanov:"Bolshoi! What is that sound?!"

Bandit:"My eardrums!"

Arkadiy:"What is that high-pitched noise!"

Striker:"Like someone blowing a whistle next to my head!"

But the noise subsides, allowing the Rovers to recover. Schlectermann
grins down at them.

Schlectermann:"Best to flee now, Road Rovers, vhile you still have ze
               chance."

Striker:"Or else what?"

The sound of marching boots from behind catches their attention. The
Rovers turn around and look down the corridor they had came through. A
line of armoured mutants, using riot shields to make a phalanx line, are
marching towards them. Right behind them is Kaufmann (chewing a wad of
bubblegum), some security guards and the rest of Schlectermann's mutant
army.

Bandit:"Uh oh. We got a lot of problems coming our way."

Schlectermann:"Yah, so you do. I would have preferred to test this new
               machine in trials first, but zen this will be as good an
               opportunity as any. See, this machine sends out a high
               frequency sonic transmission, vich you just felt. Zese
               signals then go through the special implants in my canine
               soldiers' bodies and straight into their brains. You might
               call it mind control, but I call it a form of hypnotic 
               suggestion. And I can send out any order I want to any
               location in the world with zis device, thanks to ze be-
               nefits of our global village's communication system."

The Rovers stare wide-eyed at the marching mutants, then turn their gazes
towards the machine. Schlectermann wags a finger at them.

Schlectermann:"I know vat you're thinking: destroy ze machine. I need to
               point out that doing zat will cause a sonic burst that can
               rupture your eardrums und perhaps cause even serious in-
               jury for you canines, yah?"

Illanov:"In that case you'll turn the machine off for us."

Schlectermann:"Come on up here, if you want."

Schlectermann holds up his own weapon: a glock pistol taken from security.

Suddenly Illanov goes invisible, startling the scientist.

Schlectermann:"Vat! But how...?"

Striker:"Quick! Let's close that door and let Alex get Schlectermann!"

Striker, Arkadiy and Bandit rush for the door and begin pushing it closed
again. Schlectermann looks around and spins frantically, trying to spot
the now-invisible Illanov. Kaufmann sees what the Rovers are doing and
shouts to the mutants.

Kaufmann(German):"Stop them! Schnell, schnell!"

He slaps and kicks the phalanx in front of him to urge them on, earning
him some growls from the mutants. The trio of Rovers manage to close the
doors, but it isn't enough. Meanwhile, Schlectermann is still looking for
Illanov when suddenly his legs are kicked out from under him. The German
collapses to the catwalk, but still manages to keep his grip on his gun.
Illanov materializes next to him with his Plasma Rifle pointed at the
scientist.

Illanov:"Let go of the weapon!"

Schlectermann kicks Illanov in the one leg. Illanov yelps and falls onto
the floor. Schlectermann sits up and tries to aim at you him, but Illanov
slaps his hand. The pistol flies through the air and falls to the bottom 
of the chamber. Before the German Shepherd can get up again, Schlectermann
tackles him in an attempt to grab the Plasma Rifle. As the two of them are
wrestling, down below the mutants begin to force the doors open. Striker,
Arkadiy and Bandit take cover behind the machine and fire. The mutant keep
hiding behind the partially-open doors, but the ones with the shields
force themselves out to provide cover for the rest. Arkadiy takes out a
tennis ball and offers it to Bandit.

Arkadiy:"Can you drop this between them and get out again?"

Bandit nods and takes the ball. 

Bandit:"Watch this."


Bandit uses his teleportation power to bring himself right into the midst
of the mutants and next to Kaufmann. Kaufmann jumps in fright, then points
at Bandit.

Kaufmann:"You!"

Bandit:"Here, hold this."

The mountain dog throws the ball to Kaufmann, who instinctively catches 
it just as Bandit teleports away again. Kaufmann blinks in confusion and
looks the tennisball over.

Kaufmann(German):"Now what is this..."

The ball suddenly blasts out a huge cloud of smoke that envelopes Kauf-
mann and the mutants, causing them to gag and cough and slowing down the
attack. Bandit reappears with Striker and Arkadiy.

Bandit:"There. That should give them pause."

Arkadiy:"Dah, but not for long."

Striker:"Alex! How are you doing up there?"

At the top of the machine Schlectermann and Illanov are still fighting
and struggling with each other for the Plasma Rifle.

Illanov:"Working on it, comrade!"

Schlectermann:"Give me that rifle, schwein!"

Illanov:"Nyet!"

Illanov then gets an idea. He reaches into his uniform and takes out his
EMP Jammer device.

Illanov:"This will give you a... shocking experience."

Schlectermann gasps and grabs for the Jammer, under the impression that
it is a stun prod. Illanov puts up a show of resisting, but lets the
German take the device. Schlectermann grins in triumph.

Schlectermann:"Nein! How about YOU get some shock therapy!"

Schlectermann turns on the device and prods Illanov in the neck. But
instead of electrocuting the canine, the device activates its EMP charge.
Immediately the giant machine shuts down. Confused and shocked, the
scientist takes his eyes off Illanov to look.

Schlectermann:"Wh... what..."

Illanov takes this opening to punch Schlectermann hard and send the man
flat on his back. Illanov takes his EMP Jammer and Plasma Rifle and sits 
up. He kneels and takes aim at the computer terminal. Schlectermann looks 
up just in time to see this.

Schlectermann:"NEIN! STOP!"

Illanov fires a blast at the terminal. The plasma smashes into the com-
puter, blowing it apart in a shower of sparks and computer parts. Down
below the mutants have just burst through the doors when they stop in
their tracks. Kaufmann looks around and smacks a few of them.

Kaufmann(German):"Hey! Move it, you mongrels!"

He starts kicking them, failing to notice that the mutants' faces have
gone from angry but obedient to completely feral. They snarl as they
turn to Kaufmann and the human guards. Kaufmann's eyes widen as he sees 
them ready their claws and bare their fangs.

Kaufmann(German):"Nein, stop that! You hear me?! Obey! OBEY!!"

The mutants attack, snarling like mad creatures. Kaufmann is barely
able to let out a scream before the mutants are upon him. Arkadiy,
Bandit and Striker watch the ensuing carnage.

Arkadiy:"Bolshoi! They've gone feral!"

Bandit:"I guess destroying the machine rather than just shutting it
        down properly messed up the mind chips."

Striker:"Let's go and help Alex before those mutants finish and turn
         on us."

The three of them make their way up the catwalks. Illanov cradles his
Plasma Rifle as he looks at the damage he had done.

Illanov:"Now, Schlectermann, time to go and face justice."

But as he turns around he sees that Schlectermann has gotten to his feet
and is escaping through a single door at the end of a catwalk. Striker
and the others come to the top.

Striker:"Where's Schlectermann?"

Illanov:"There, comrades!"

Illanov points to Schlectermann just as the German escapes through the
door. The Rovers run after him, but the scientist slams the door and
locks it. Arkadiy kicks the door a few times before the lock finally
gives in. They keep up the chase, following Schlectermann down a tunnel
lit by small bulbs. They see Schlectermann up ahead going through another
door and closing it. When they reach the door Arkadiy once again kicks
it open even though it takes longer this time. Rushing through the door-
way they find themselves back outside on the edge of a slope near the
sea. Nearby is a ramp that runs down the slope before making a jump at
the end. Sitting at the top is a black glider with a small propeller
engine. Schlectermann is in the glider, the cockpit lit up by a faint
light as he starts the engine.

Striker:"Gou! Stop him!"

But it is too late. The glider heads down the ramp, quickly gathering
speed. Striker fires his sonic rifle at the glider in a last ditch at-
tempt to stop it. The blast strikes the tail, causing it to wobble and
swerve. Surprisingly, Schlectermann manages to keep the glider on the
ramp. Unable to stop him, the Rovers can only watch as the glider hits
the jump and takes to the skies. The glider flies off and disappears
into the darkness.

Illanov:"Mother Russia! Schlectermann got away."

Bandit:"And WE got trouble! Look!"

Bandit points back to the exit. Dozens of feral mutants, some of them
with blood around their muzzles, are coming out into the open.

Striker:"Ai yai yai! We'd better call the others and leave!"

Arkadiy:"Dah, and run!"

The three of them start sprinting while the mutants give chase. As
Bandit, Illanov and Arkadiy fire at the mutants to try and slow them 
down, Striker calls the others.

Striker(into com):"This is Striker! We need an extraction!"

Harva(over com):"We're coming, Striker. You guys coming out the main
     entrance?"

Striker(into com):"Nee, we came out a different exit somewhere near the
       shore. Schlectermann got away and now his army is out for blood!"

Harva(over com):"Okay, hang on! We'll follow your collar trackers!"

Striker(into com):"Dankie, and do hurry!"

Striker takes out his revolver and shoots a mutant right between the
eyes. The mutant drops dead, but the others keep coming over their fal-

len comrade. The Rovers run past the ramp along a path that seems to
head up a hill. As they follow it up they can make out the silhouette
of a transmission tower. They head for it while still shooting at the
rampaging mutants behind them. Coming to the tower they can see a ladder
leading up on it.

Arkadiy:"Up the ladder, comrades! Hurry!"

While Arkadiy gives covering fire, Striker, Illanov and Bandit quickly 
clamber up the ladder. Arkadiy then jumps up and climbs out of reach of
a leaping mutant. The horde gathers at the bottom, snarling and snapping
their jaws. Some of them start climbing up the ladder or even scaling
the sides of the transmitter. The Rovers climb as quickly as they can to
the top with the mutants in pursuit. When they get there they take out
their weapons again and start shooting at any mutant getting too close.
The Sonic Rover appears with the Stealth Rover nearby. The Sonic Rover
goes into VTOL mode and hover closer to the tower while one of the hatches
opens. Shephard appears and drops a rope ladder.

Shephard:"This way, sirs!"

Bandit is first to climb up the rope ladder while Natsu tries to fire at
some of the mutants. Next are Illanov and then Striker. Finally Arkadiy
grabs the rope ladder, but a mutant jumps up and grabs his legs. The 
mutant bites into his one foot, causing Arkadiy to yell in pain.

Arkadiy:"Aaaargh!"

He tries to shake off the big mutant while the others reach the top of 
the tower and try to grab the rope ladder. Two shots ring out from above:
Striker fires the last two shots in his revolver at the mutant, hitting
it in the neck and shoulder. The mutant lets out a yelp, freeing Ark's
foot. Arkadiy then kicks him with good foot, sending the mutant falling
to the ground far below. The Sonic Rover then pulls away, leaving behind
the tower covered with mutants. Striker helps Arkadiy up the rope ladder
until they are inside the Sonic Rover. Shephard pulls in the rope and then
Bandit closes the door.

Shephard:"There! That's it. You okay, sir?"

Arkadiy is laid down on the floor, his foot bleeding.

Arkadiy:"He bit... pretty deep. Bolshoi, the pain..."

Shephard:"I'll go and get some medical help, sir."

While Natsu goes to find Bard, Striker radios the teams.

Striker(into com):"This is Striker to all teams. Is everyone accounted
       for?"

Corsair(over com):"We're all onboard, boss. Plus a load of yapping dogs
       as well."

Striker(into com):"Any sign of the glider Schlectermann took?"

Harva(over com):"Glider? Sorry, Striker. I don't pick up any gliders on
     our radars."

Striker(into com):"In that case there is nothing else to do. Let's get
       the dogs to safety and alert the Norwegian authorities and NATO
       about what is going here. Have them create a quarantine zone to
       keep the rampaging mutants from escaping."

Harva(over com):"Copy that. We're out of here."

Corsair(over com):"Roger that, boss."

The Stealth and Sonic Rovers power up their engines and fly off into the
night, leaving behind the ravaged base and its hordes of feral super
soldiers.

Office of the CEO
EuroCorp Headquarters
Brussels
Belgium
29 March
9:03 AM:

Jacques Rembrandt is seated behind his desk, watching BBC news live on
his laptop. Johnston is seated opposite, also watching the news. They
see a reporter standing on the deck of a warship near the Norwegian,
dressed in winter gear.

Reporter:"NATO forces have quarantined the area and are in the process
          of neutralizing all known ferals in the area. Meanwhile, a
          few lone survivors of the group called the Iron Guard have
          been arrested and taken to a secure location for interroga-
          tion. NATO command and the Road Rovers have so far not released
          details on who leaders of the Iron Guard are and or whether
          they had survive."

Rembrandt mutes the news with a single button press and looks at Johnston. 

Rembrandt:"Has any of this been linked to EuroCorp?"

Johnston:"O-o-our lawyers have managed t-t-t-to subpoena any d-d-damaging
          information a-a-a-and our commando teams have n-n-neutralised
          all known Iron G-g-g-guard facilities linked to A-A-AniCom."

Rembrandt:"And AniCom itself?"

Johnston:"P-p-p-p-purged from EuroCorp's r-r-r-record. All employees i-i-i-
          involved in the p-p-p-project have been r-r-reassigned and made
          t-t-to sign contracts of s-s-silence."

Rembrandt:"Good. That should minimize our losses, both to our profits and
           to our public relations. Now its just a matter of tying up
           loose ends."

Just then there is a beep on the intercom on Rembrandt's desk. Rembrandt
presses a button.

Rembrandt:"Oui?"

Secretary:"Monsieur Schlectermann is here."

Rembrandt:"Send him in."

Rembrandt and Johnston stand up.

Rembrandt:"Speak of the devil. Is Duroc ready?"

Johnston:"Y-y-y-yes, sir."

Rembrandt:"Good."

The door to the office opens. Josef Schlectermann comes into the room
and closes the door behind him.

Rembrandt:"Ah, there you are Monsieur Schlectermann. Come in, we need
           to talk about your future."

Schlectermann quickly walks up to the desk.

Josef:"Listen Herr Rembrandt. I had nothing to do with zis Iron Guard
       business. If I had known..."


Rembrandt holds up a hand and shakes his head.

Rembrandt:"We know. We know, Monsieur Schlectermann. Our lawyers have
           made sure that there is no connection between you and AniCom.
           Therefore investigators will not be able to pin down any
           d***ing evidence."

Schlectermann is surprised.

Josef:"Really? Zat is unexpected."

Rembrandt:"We cannot not let EuroCorp's reputation be tainted by this
           whole affair. Besides, you had nothing to do with this. Still,

           we need to... reassign you until all the commotion has died
           down. We don't to waste your talents while you're on our pay-
           roll, no?"

Schlectermann relaxes and nods.

Josef:"Yah, zat is true. What vill this new reassign involve?"

Rembrandt holds up some papers and walks to the window.

Rembrandt:"Come over here and I'll show you, no?"

Schlectermann walks around the desk and takes the papers from Rembrandt.
As he begins reading them, Rembrandt moves behind the German. Schlecter-
mann frowns as he reads a bit.

Josef:"Wait, this is a newspa..."

Schlectermann turns around just in time to see Rembrandt lift a foot and
kick him hard in the gut. Schlectermann stumbles back against the glass
window, which swings open. The German screams as he falls out of the
office and falls to his death. There is a loud crash as he smashes into
a car parked in front of the main building entrance. Before a crowd can
gather, Duroc and several dozen security guards immediately surround the
car to keeps the onlookers back. Duroc grins as he looks Schlectermann
over and reaches over to feel for a pulse. Satisfied that the German is
dead, he looks up and gives the thumbs up. From the open window in his
office, Rembrandt and Johnston look down at Schlectermann's corpse.

Rembrandt:"Rot in h***, you Nazi pig."

Johnston:"Good s-s-s-shot, sir. Right on his own c-c-c-car."

Rembrandt:"Merci, Johnston."

Rembrandt closes the window and turns to Johnston.

Rembrandt:"The official story will be that, after I gave him the news
           that he was fired, Josef Schlectermann was so distraught that
           he flung himself out the window. Oui?"

Johnston:"O-o-o-of c-c-course."

Rembrandt:"Now we just need to tie up the remaining loose ends and then
           we never speak of this again. AniCom never happened here at
           the European Corporation."

Johnston:"W-w-w-what AniCom, sir?"

Rembrandt nods in agreement. The two of them sit down again and begin

working on the final details. Down below, Duroc and his security teams
start to remove Schlectermann's body and car.

Recovery Ward
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
9:33 AM:

This is large room with rows of hospital beds set up. Each bed comes with
sophisticated medical and monitoring equipment and curtains for privacy.
Phoenix is lying in one of the beds, dressed in a hospital gown and prop-
ped up on some pillows. In her arms is Firefly, with whom she is gently
playing. Striker, Aydrian and Elissia are seated around her bed. The
Master walks to the group, getting their attention.

Master:"And how are you doing, Phoenix?"

Phoenix:"I'm feeling much better now, Master. Professor Hubert and Collin
         said I can be up in a week or two."

Master:"That's good to hear. And I'm sure little Firefly is happy mommy
        is going to be okay."

The Master pets Firefly, who giggles and paws playfully at the Master's
hand.

Striker:"Any news about AniCom, Professor?"

Master:"Schlectermann is dead."

Everyone looks at the Master with some surprise.

Aydrian:"What happened to him?"

Master:"According to EuroCorp, Schlectermann allegedly committed suicide
        by throwing himself off a building after being fired."

Phoenix:"Allegedly."

Master:"I strongly suspect that Schlectermann was thrown to his death
        by EuroCorp guards on Rembrandt's orders."

Striker:"Any proof of it, or of their involvement in AniCom, we can pin
         on EuroCorp?"

Master shakes his head.

Master:"Unfortunately not. EuroCorp is covering its tracks well, claiming
        that it was never involved in AniCom or the Iron Guard. I suspect
        a few bribes were paid here and there to help with the cover up."

Elissia:"That's despicable. They're guilty."

Master:"Yes, but there is no accusation we can bring forth without their
        lawyers ripping it apart in court."

Striker:"That is a shame. What about the Iron Guard and the other AniCom
         sites under their control?"

Master:"NATO and the European Union have secured that Norwegian base.
        Sadly, they had to put down all the cano-mutants because they
        were rabid. And there only a few survivors of the Iron Guard.
        They did, however, find plenty of files identifying other sites,
        secret hideouts and associates. EU police are conducting raids
        as we speak, and a number of people have been arrested."

Phoenix:"What about Castle Red Spire?"

Master:"Burnt to the ground by the time police arrived. They're still
        trying to figure out if it was the Iron Guard or EuroCorp who
        are responsible. A few other sites have been raided, dozens of
        people arrested and a number of captive canines, both normal
        and transformed, were freed. The United Nations and the EU will
        be working to have them taken care of."

Striker:"And the Vanguard?"

Firefly whimpers upon hearing the word. Phoenix comforts her.

Master:"That I am much more worried about. At first after that affair in
        Santa Fe I thought it was an isolated incident involving a group
        of small, disgruntled, ex-military grunts. But now we had a
        confrontation with a Vanguard that boasts sophisticated weapons
        and vehicles."

Striker:"And those vehicles had to come from somewhere. A ship or a base,
         most likely."

Master:"Right. So we'll need to begin taking them seriously. I will start
        to assign some Rovers to begin investigating the Vanguard."

Striker:"Will Unit STRIKE be involved, Professor?"

Master:"Maybe, but I need you for a more pressing issue once Phoenix has
        recovered. According to our South American agents, there seems to
        be an escalation in the civil war between the two rival Elite
        Guard forces in the Amazon that threatens the ecosystem and some
        of the tribes living in the jungle."

Striker:"That is a source of bekommernis. Still, I'm more concerned about
         the Vanguard."

Master:"Don't worry, Striker. If things with the Vanguard get worse, I'll
        put you and your team on it. But for now, I think after the whole
        AniCom business you deserve a break."

Striker nods his head. The Master then pets Firefly again while looking
at Phoenix.

Master:"Hope you get better soon, Phoenix."

Phoenix:"Thank you, Master."

The Master then takes his leave while Firefly starts to suck her thumb.
He passes a poodle cano-sapien nurse who comes to do another checkup
on Phoenix. Josef Schlectermann is dead, the Iron Guard and its plans
for a new German empire are crushed and EuroCorp's Project AniCom has
finally been defeated. But there is still the question of the Vanguard.
What did they steal from AniCom? What are their plans with the data?
And what threat will the Vanguard pose to the Road Rovers?


THE END